S'Wonderful
by wealhtheow1
Summary: Megumi Hisakawa, a former Host Club client, is now teaching at Ouran Elementary. But when she asks for an alum to visit her class, a familiar face turns up. Will old friendships be renewed, or has she moved on from her Host Club days completely? Contains characters from my story You Know The Night, but it's not necessary to have read that first.
1. Chapter 1

Megumi Hisakawa frowned as she thumbed through the pile of essays she had collected from her students earlier in the afternoon. She'd asked her sixth-grade students to reflect on the elements of a successful, well-rounded life, and from what she could glean while scanning the essays, the results were skewed heavily toward _successful_ rather than _well-rounded_. Several students had even gone so far as to say that the primary function of art was to showcase wealth. Megumi sighed. Granted, the value system at Ouran Academy had always been a bit perverse, prioritizing wealth and pedigree over all else, but for some reason this particular class was even more obsessed with status than any of her other classes had been. The school year had only been session for a month, but Megumi had been startled at the sheer amount of backbiting and jockeying for position her students were exhibiting.

It wasn't that Megumi was without sympathy for them. She herself had attended Ouran her whole life, from preschool to college. And when she was offered a job teaching class 6-A in the elementary school, she didn't think twice about accepting the offer. Sometimes she did feel like she was living in a cloister, never experiencing the world outside Ouran, but on the whole, she was happy. She loved teaching, and she loved her students. And she particularly loved the degree of independence that came with not going into the family business as her older brother and sister had done. It wasn't that Megumi particularly had anything against janitorial services, but she thought that if she had to spend her life poring over spreadsheets and glad-handing people for the sake of securing contracts, she would tear off her own head and eat it, despite the anatomical impossibility of the task.

_How on earth do I get these children to see art and music as more than just status symbols? _Megumi thought. _Particularly when the only thing they seem to care about as much as lineage is money. _She heard a rumble of thunder outside. _I'd better get to the car before the sky opens up. _Megumi hurriedly shoved the essays into her bag, along with a second pile of quizzes that would need to be graded by tomorrow. She quickly left the room, her footsteps echoing in the empty halls. _I wish I didn't have to walk halfway across campus to get to the faculty parking_, she thought bitterly. _Although the exercise is probably good for me._ As she exited the building, Megumi saw a small group of high school students crossing the quad. She smiled at the sight. It didn't seem like ten years ago that she had been wearing that uniform herself.

"Reminiscing about the past, Hisakawa-san?" a voice interrupted her reverie.

Megumi jumped and turned around. "Chairman Suoh! You startled me, sir!"

"You looked lost in thought. Is everything all right?" the older man asked solicitously.

"Oh, no sir. That is, everything's fine," Megumi stammered. Earlier, she had wondered briefly about asking his advice on how to deal with her power-hungry class, but now, seeing him standing before her, she had an idea. "Actually, sir, I was wondering. I thought it might be nice to have some distinguished Ouran alumni visit my class."

"Oh? To what purpose?" the chairman asked, reaching out and taking Megumi's heavy bag from her as the two began to walk toward the parking lot.

Megumi blushed. "Suoh-sama, there's no need for you to carry my bag."

"Humor an old man. It's not often I get to act the chivalrous gentleman to such a pretty young lady." Suoh winked at her. "So tell me why you suddenly want to start having class visitors?" he pressed.

"Class 6-A is a little … narrow-minded … in terms of their vision of what their future might entail. It's not practical that every student in the class will be able to take a significant role in their family's business. I want to help them open their eyes to other possibilities," Megumi explained.

"It's an excellent idea," the chairman enthused. "I'll ask the headmaster to furnish you with the contact information for a few of our students who have branched out somewhat. Was there anyone in particular you had in mind?"

"I was hoping to bring in a few people who had achieved success in the arts, sir. This class in particular seems to think the only real value in art is the amount it sold for."

"_Ars longa, vita brevis,"_ Suoh nodded. "I have a couple ideas." They had reached Megumi's car. "I'll make a few phone calls tonight. I'm assuming it's all right for me to pass along your phone number and e-mail to one or two former students?"

"Of course," Megumi said, although she wasn't quite as certain as she sounded. _Who does he have in mind? _"Thank you so much, sir. Can I offer you a ride back to the main gates?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, thank you. I enjoy walking; it's often the only time I get during the day to think quietly."

"I'm sorry to have interrupted you, in that case."

"Not at all! I'm glad you brought this to my attention. We have a duty to your students to prepare them for the future, even when that future turns out to be different than anticipated," Suoh twinkled at her. "Thank you, my dear. I think you can look forward to a phone call from an old friend or two in the next few days."

Megumi looked at the chairman's back as he walked off. _Who is he talking about? _She turned the car on, rolling down all the windows. _Old friends? I'm still in touch with Chiyo and Kumiko; I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about them, anyways. Chiyo got married straight out of school, and Kumiko's definitely not doing anything with the arts; she manages her family's restaurants in Edogawa. So who …?_ Suddenly, she had an unpleasant feeling at the bottom of her stomach. "Oh no," she said aloud. "He wouldn't." But knowing the chairman, Megumi was pretty certain that he would.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru wandered into Kaoru's office and threw himself down on the couch, not bothering to remove the samples covering it first. "So I got a weird voicemail last night," he began.

"I know. He called me right after he called you." Kaoru said, hiding his irritation. Hikaru was wrinkling the clothes. _Will he ever stop being so careless?_

"Why did you pick up?"

"Must be a conditioned reflex. When the phone rings, I tend to answer it rather than burying it in my sock drawer."

"I wasn't anywhere close to my sock drawer at the time, so take that back." Hikaru grumbled. "So what's this favor that milord's father wants?"

"I guess there's some teacher back at Ouran who wants to expose her students to the wide and wonderful world of art," Kaoru said tiredly. In theory, he thought the idea was great. It would be even better if someone else could deal with it, though. Between working up new designs for the next season and dealing with Hikaru's recent mood swings, he hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. He checked back through the follow-up e-mail Yuzuru Suoh had sent. "Here it is—Hisakawa Megumi."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"She was in our year at Ouran. She used to come to the Host Club sometimes, but she usually sat with Huni and Mori," Kaoru said. He remembered her dimly; a pretty little thing, but painfully shy. They certainly hadn't bothered to get to know her well.

"Wait a minute. Wasn't she the janitor princess?" Hikaru asked.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru chided, annoyed. "They're not janitors; they own the largest janitorial service in Tokyo. Hell, we're probably one of their clients."

"Same thing," Hikaru shrugged. Kaoru shot him a dirty look. "What? I'm not trying to insult her. The world needs janitors."

"Do you think you can manage to not call her a janitor princess if you go talk to her students, or do I need to handle this?"

"Honestly, Kaoru, can you please just go instead? I am beyond swamped with getting ready for our latest show; Mom keeps changing her mind about the models, and I'm trying to ensure the new site gets rolled out on schedule. I'm running on overload." Hikaru pinched the bridge of his nose. "Besides, you're definitely coming up with more of the artistic concepts these days anyways. Bring in some of your jewelry line; the girls will love that."

"Mmm," Kaoru thought out loud. "Maybe I'll bring in some of those wisteria pendants for the girls, and the tooled leather cuffs for the boys. And then some of the kimonos Mom designed this year. What about some of your photos, Hika? The ones from Coney Island are spectacular, and certainly nothing these kids have ever seen before."

"Not those," Hikaru snapped.

_New York = sore spot. Got it. _Kaoru didn't bother to push: he knew Hikaru wouldn't talk about the on-again off-again relationship he had with Jennifer Shapiro until he was damn good and ready. But evidently, given his twin's foul mood, it was off. Again. Kaoru made a mental note to have a talk with Kyoya's wife, Laney. As Jen's best friend, maybe she could shed some light on the current situation. Although knowing Laney, she would probably just tell him to butt out and let Hikaru and Jen figure it out for themselves.

"Sorry, Kao. That came out a little nastier than I meant it to. How about the ones of the Takachiho Gorge?" Hikaru said apologetically.

"Perfect," Kaoru smiled at his twin. "What do you think the chances are I can convince Kyoya to loan me a couple of his paintings? I think it would be good for these kids to see that even hard-ass businessmen can be artists."

Hikaru laughed. "The chances that _you_ can convince Kyoya? Practically nil. But …"

"I can convince Laney, and _she_ can get him to do just about anything," Kaoru finished. "Brilliant, Hikaru."

"I still can't get over how much more relaxed he is now that he's married," Hikaru said. "I mean, if you shoved a lump of coal up his ass, it would probably take him a whole two weeks to shit out a diamond now."

"It's cause he's getting some on the regular," Kaoru said.

"Speaking of which, a few of the models Mom decided against are in dire need of some consolation, so I said I'd take them out to dinner tonight. Want to come with?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I'm going to see if I can't catch Laney before she leaves the lab. If I give her a ride I can ask her about Kyoya's paintings."

"And you'll probably get dinner out of her as well," Hikaru grinned, standing up to leave. "Catch you later, bro."

Kaoru grinned back at his brother, but dropped the act as soon Hikaru left. He hated this new side of his brother; the mildly self-destructive playboy. It wasn't so much that his behavior was terribly excessive, the sleeping around aside. But Kaoru could tell Hikaru was trying to ignore something in his life that wasn't working. And he was willing to bet that something was a ridiculously stubborn brunette doctor, currently finishing up her oncology residency in New York. _Jen, what in the hell are you doing to my brother?_ Kaoru frowned, then texted Laney. –_Dinner tonight?_

She must not have been working on anything in particular, because her response was almost immediate. –_Are you offering or asking?_

_-Asking. But I'm offering you a ride back to your place in exchange._

_-Tempting. K is working late. Again._

_-What a shock. Pick you up at 5?_

_-Eager beaver. What's up?_

_-I want to talk to you about a couple things._

_-No._

_-Seriously? You don't even know what I'm going to say._

_-Anything about J and her incredibly fucked-up relationship with your brother is off the table. Anything she's told me was in confidence, and you're the absolute last person I'd tell. Well, almost the last._

Kaoru rolled his eyes. –_Okay, so I want to talk to you about one thing._

_-?_

_-Nothing big. I need you to convince Kyoya to loan me a couple of his paintings to show some kids at Ouran._

_-Oh sure. Nothing big at all. It's not like Kyoya is an intensely private individual or anything. It's not like his painting is one of the only areas of his life not subject to public scrutiny._

_-It's for a good cause._

_-Pick me up at 5. No promises. _

Kaoru grinned and put his phone down. _If you're going to do a job, you might as well do it right,_ he thought. If this teacher wanted to show her students that art was still a vital force in the modern world, he was damn sure going to show up with a full arsenal.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaoru followed Laney into her kitchen, which was full of the scent of roast pork and apples. Suzu, the cook, was just taking off her apron. "Good evening, Madam. The pork loin should be ready to come out in about twenty minutes. I've preheated the top oven and set out the ingredients for biscuits; I assumed you would prefer to make them yourself, as usual. Is there anything else you need?"

"Suzu, you're a jewel of a woman. Thank you, I think we can handle it from here." Laney opened the fridge and pulled out a small dish of cubed butter and a bottle of buttermilk. "Go home and see your children."

"Good night, then, Ootori-sama, Hitachiin-sama."

Kaoru pulled up a kitchen stool to the island, watching as Laney started to assemble the biscuits. She processed the butter and the dry ingredients, then transferred the coarse mixture into a bowl. She added buttermilk without to bothering to measure and stirred very gently. Frowning, she added a splash more buttermilk, and then turned the whole mess out onto the marble block on top of the island. She started patting the dough out. Looking up, she studied Kaoru as her hands moved lightly over the dough. "Want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"About whatever's making you look like you haven't had a decent night's sleep in over a week?"

Kaoru sighed. "It's just been really hectic at work lately."

Laney raised an eyebrow. "That all?"

"And I feel like I'm walking on thin ice around Hikaru. He's been so moody this past week; I can never tell what's going to set him off."

Laney folded the dough, patted it down, folded it again. Kaoru found the rhythmic, repetitive motions of her hands soothing. He'd been a not-infrequent dinner guest since Laney and Kyoya had moved back to Japan three months ago, and watching Laney make biscuits—and then eating those biscuits—had become a pleasant way to wind down after a particularly stressful day.

"Kaoru, I don't like it any more than you do," Laney said, folding the dough one last time. "But they really need to figure this out on their own."

_I thought this subject was off the table_, Kaoru thought. "It's been almost two years. What makes you think they're ever going to figure it out?"

"Because it's not sustainable. I think the only reason things have gone on like this for so long is because Jen is buried so deep in her residency that she can't see the forest for the trees. She's going to start looking around at oncology fellowships, and I know Jen—once she starts putting one part of her life in order, she won't stop." Laney cut the biscuits out, carefully transferring them to the baking sheet. "If you ask me, the problem is they never actually bother to talk to each other. Chemistry is all well and good, but those two just leap into bed and wind up ignoring everything else."

Kaoru gathered the dough scraps together, gently patting them down again. Laney smiled at him and handed over the round cutter. He managed to get another two biscuits cut out and put them on the baking sheet with Laney's. She transferred the sheet into the top oven and set the timer, then started cleaning up.

"I don't understand how someone who can't cook can make such amazing biscuits," Kaoru said lightly as Laney wiped down the counters.

"My grandma was not about to let any female of her own blood out into the world unable to make a decent biscuit. She would have died from the shame," Laney laughed. "We spent one whole summer when I was 14 in biscuit boot camp. Closest I ever came to hating her." She opened the fridge and got out some lettuce and peppers. "Why don't you set the table while I throw together a quick salad?"

Kaoru set three places at the round wooden table. The house had a formal dining room, but Laney and Kyoya took most of their meals in the large eat-in kitchen. Kaoru smiled to himself. Hikaru had been right; Kyoya was definitely more relaxed now that he was married.

Once they had sat down to dinner and taken the edge off their hunger, Laney asked, "So what's this about needing to borrow some of Kyoya's paintings?"

"This teacher at Ouran, Hisakawa, thinks her class is a little too materialistic, evidently, so she asked Tamaki's father about having some alumni who work in the arts visit the class to show them that there's more to life than just power and prestige. So the chairman called in a favor, and I got stuck with it," Kaoru explained.

"But your work is powerful and prestigious, so I'm a little unclear how bringing in one of the world's top fashion designers is going to show these kids that art should exist for its own sake," Laney responded.

"That's where Kyoya's paintings come in. I'm going to bring in some of Hikaru's photography work, and I wanted to show them along with the paintings to show that art can function as an outlet for self-expression. I'm also going to ask Mei for some of her recent work so I can show them that the arts allow us to cross social boundaries." Kaoru snagged another biscuit.

"Leave some for my husband, please," Laney said mildly. "Okay, I get the gist of what you're doing. But why Kyoya's paintings, specifically?"

"Hisakawa indicated that a lot of these kids are pretty cutthroat, even though they're only in sixth grade. Remind you of anyone?"

"Kyoya is not cutthroat!" Laney said indignantly. Kaoru just looked at her. "I guess I can see where he might come off that way in a few specific situations," she conceded grudgingly.

"Yes, normally he's a real pussycat," Kaoru rolled his eyes. "I want to drive the point home that they can allow themselves some freedom of expression without compromising their ambition. I mean, these are Class-A Ouran students we're talking about; they're not going to suddenly throw over the family business and adopt a Bohemian lifestyle because I talked to them about art for half an hour."

Laney started to clear the plates. "These seems very personal to you, Kaoru."

He shrugged, rising to help Laney load the dishwasher. "Hikaru and I had a lot of freedom growing up. We wound up working with my mother because that's what we wanted to do, but we were absolutely never pressured into it. That wasn't the case for everyone. I feel bad for those kids, that's all."

"Mmm. If you put it like that to Kyoya, he'll probably be more likely to agree," Laney said thoughtfully. "God knows he's not exactly a huge fan of kids warping themselves to meet their parents' expectations."

"That's ironic, don't you think?"

"Not really," Laney shrugged. "I know people think Kyoya does whatever his father wants, but I think you'd be a little surprised at just how much were his ideas in the first place. Particularly in the last few years." She smiled. "Considering the type of pressures he grew up with, I think he's stayed rather remarkably true to himself."

"So you'll ask him for me?" Kaoru said hopefully.

Laney cocked her head. "Ask him yourself."

"Ask me what?" Kyoya said, entering the kitchen. He dropped his briefcase on the counter and turned to give his wife a deep kiss. Kaoru politely looked away. Seeing Kyoya so openly affectionate was still a bit unnerving; and if he was being completely honest, he was a little envious of his friend's obvious happiness. Not that he begrudged it in the slightest. But it would be nice to have something like that that in his own life, rather than just deadlines, more deadlines, and an increasingly moody brother.

"Bad day, baby?" Laney asked as she put together a plate for her husband.

"Nothing I can't handle." Kyoya started eating right at the counter, not bothering to sit down. "Hello, Kaoru. Mooching dinner again?"

"It was this or instant ramen in my office," Kaoru defended himself.

"Oh, certainly. A man of your means no doubt has very limited options," Kyoya said sardonically. "Clearly you had no choice but to impose on my wife's hospitable nature."

"Kyoya, sit down. You'll get indigestion if you eat standing up," Laney said. "I'll make some tea and we'll join you at the table."

Kyoya brought his plate over the table. Kaoru followed him. "I'm glad you were able to keep Laney company tonight, Kaoru. I've been working too much lately, and she doesn't have many friends yet. Sometimes I worry if she's lonely here," Kyoya said in a low voice.

Kaoru blinked, a little surprised. "She never complains about it."

Kyoya looked over at his wife. "She wouldn't. But that doesn't mean I don't still worry."

Kaoru shrugged. "It's only been three months. I wouldn't worry too much, if I were you."

Laney brought over a tray with three cups and a steaming teapot. "Worry about what?"

"About whether your biscuits are going to make me fat," Kyoya said smoothly, smiling up at her.

Laney cast a critical eye over her husband. "You could stand to gain a couple pounds, baby. Do you even eat during the day?"

"How about if I take a long lunch on Friday? I'll pick you up and we can grab something at the Roi Grande Hotel."

"If you knock off early and we get a room, that's a deal."

"I'll have my assistant book a reservation first thing tomorrow," Kyoya grinned.

"I am sitting right here," Kaoru complained. "Can you please wait to talk about your perverted sex appointments until you're alone?"

"You come to my house for dinner, you take your lumps," Laney laughed. "Besides, you should be thanking me; now that he's in a better mood, he's much more likely to help you out with that favor."

"That remains to be seen. What favor?" Kyoya asked, grabbing the last biscuit off the plate just as Kaoru was thinking about snagging it for himself. He sighed, and explained the situation to Kyoya.

"I don't really see what advantage there is in helping you," Kyoya said when Kaoru had finished. "What did you say this teacher's name was, again?"

"Hisakawa Megumi."

"Of Hisakawa Janitorial? Well, their contract with us is coming up for renewal. They're probably going to want to raise rates, so helping out a member of the family might give me some sway in negotiations." Kyoya closed his eyes, thinking for a minute. "Wasn't she in your year at Ouran, Kaoru? She was a somewhat regular visitor to the Host Club, if I remember correctly."

Kaoru swallowed. Kyoya's memory had been a lot less unsettling when he was still using a notebook as a prop. "Yes. She was in Class C. But she never used to sit with Hikaru and me. I think she found our act to be a little disconcerting."

"What on earth could be disconcerting about incest?" Laney inquired sweetly.

Kyoya gave a small huff of laughter. "Come on up to my studio. I'll see if I can't find a couple of appropriate pieces for what you have in mind."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much to No-Time Lord for the review!


	3. Chapter 3

Megumi dropped her pen on her desk, finally finished with grading. _And it's only 9:30 on a Friday night_, she thought. No wonder she had no social life. She got up from her desk, stretching, and walked over to the kitchen to put on the kettle. _A little tea, a little reading, early to bed; I am truly living the dream._ Her lips quirked at the thought.

The kettle had just started to whistle when the phone rang. Megumi looked at her phone, but didn't recognize the number. _Who on earth is calling at this time of night?_ she wondered as she answered the phone.

"Hello? Hisakawa-san?" The voice on the other end sounded vaguely familiar.

"This is she," Megumi said warily. She had a sinking feeling she knew she was talking to.

"This is Hitachiin Kaoru. Chairman Suoh passed along your request for an Ouran alum to visit your class, and he thought I might fit the bill."

_Of course he did. _Megumi thought. _Because when I think of compassionate people who can open up a child's mind, the very first people who spring to mind are the Hitachiin twins. Brilliant, sir. Absolutely brilliant._ "Hitachiin-san, what a pleasant surprise," Megumi lied through her teeth. "Thank you so much for contacting me so promptly."

"I know it's been a few days since the chairman called me, but I wanted to put together a collection of pieces from a few different sources before I talked with you," Hitachiin said. "I thought for the first session we could focus on visual arts, including textiles. What do you think?"

_First session? What the hell?_ "Um, why don't you tell me what you were planning to bring?" Megumi covered her confusion. _What exactly did Suoh-sama tell him?_

"Well, I have a few kimonos from my mother's upcoming collection. If you prefer, I could certainly bring him some of her other pieces, but since the focus is on artistic vision, I thought the kimonos would be the make the most impact. I also have some sketches from one of our up-and-coming designers, Kasanoda Mei. She has an amazing eye. I think the kids will really enjoy having a sneak preview of her work."

"That sounds wonderful," Megumi said, a little dazed. _It sounds like he put a lot of thought into this. I didn't know he was capable of taking things so seriously. _

"I also wanted to bring in some pieces on a purely amateur level. Let the kids know that they can include art in their lives regardless of their profession. My brother, Hikaru, got into landscape photography a while back, so I have some of his photos. And Ootori Kyoya loaned me a couple of his paintings. Do you think that's enough, or should I ask around for some more?"

"I think that's plenty," Megumi replied. _Ootori, huh? Guess I should warn my brother that now Ootori probably thinks we owe him a favor. Thank you so much, Hitachiin._

"I thought maybe next time we could focus on other art forms. Tamaki's asked about organizing a concert series for your class, showcasing both classical and traditional Japanese music."

"You've certainly put a lot of thought into this," Megumi said carefully.

Hitachiin laughed. "Yeah, I guess I have. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep. But the more I started thinking about this, the more excited I got. It's a nice change of pace, you know?"

"These are all great ideas, but we do still have the regular curriculum to cover as well."

"Oh. I didn't think about that," Hitachiin sounded deflated. "I'm sorry. I guess I got way ahead of myself."

"We could probably spare one hour a month for this project, though. I do feel strongly about getting the children to be more creative in their thinking."

"Wonderful!" His voice regained his usual spark. "Would it work for me to come in next Friday?"

"Hold on, let me check." Megumi opened her tablet and checked the lesson plan for next week. _If I move this test to Monday, and then cut our English lesson a little short …_ "That should work. Around two o'clock?"

"Perfect! If it's all right with you, I was thinking of asking the students to come up with an original piece of their own for when I come back next month."

"I like the idea, but many of the parents won't be pleased that the students are wasting their time on something so frivolous."

Hitachiin laughed. "Tell you what—if you get any complaints, refer them to me, okay?"

"If you're certain."

"Absolutely. It's been a while since I was able to tweak a few noses. I used to be rather good at it."

"I remember," Megumi said without thinking.

"Yeah, you probably do." If Megumi didn't know better, she'd say he almost sounded ashamed. "I've grown up a lot, though."

"I apologize, I didn't mean—"

"Yes, you did mean," Hitachiin cut her off, not unkindly. "Don't worry about it, though. I'll see you next Friday?"

"Yes." Megumi almost started to hang up, then remembered her manners. "Thank you, Hitachiin-san. I can tell you've put a lot of time and effort into coming up with all these wonderful ideas. I really appreciate it; I know you must be very busy."

"Like I said, I'm enjoying myself. In fact, I should thank you for this opportunity," he said warmly. "Have a nice weekend."

"You too," Megumi said before hanging up. _That was … bizarre._ Hitachiin Kaoru didn't sound anything like the boy she remembered. The Hitachiin twins had never taken anything seriously, especially other people's feelings. After watching them cruelly reject Chiyo's love letters in middle school, Megumi had come to the conclusion that they probably didn't even _have _feelings. They seemed to have thawed some in high school, particularly after getting involved with the Host Club. But Megumi still couldn't shake the feeling that whenever there was trouble brewing, the twins were somehow involved in stirring the pot.

But the man she'd talked to tonight was totally different. She was a little stunned at how much thought he had put into her simple idea. She'd just wanted one or two guest speakers to shake her students up a little, but it sounded like he'd planned out a yearlong curriculum. And then he'd actually apologized to her when she indicated that she might not have the time to carry it out. Hitachiin Kaoru, apologizing! _Well, 10 years is a long time, _Megumi thought. _Maybe it just took him a while to grow up._ She poured the still-hot water into her mug. _Or maybe I've been a little too judgmental._ Either way, it seemed as though having Hitachiin come into her class was not going to be the disaster she'd feared when she picked up the phone.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to No-Time Lord and mazberrypie for the reviews, and to Beaker77 and Cherry-Wish for the favorites! I'm so glad y'all are enjoying this story!


	4. Chapter 4

Kaoru set up the displays in the empty classroom. He'd asked Megumi to arrange for her students to take a late lunch so they could get the full effect when they returned to the classroom. He'd arranged the clothing displays around the classroom, centering his mother's two most elaborate kimonos in the front. Kyoya's paintings were on side of the display, and Hikaru's photos were on the other. He was debating the arrangement of Hikaru's shots when he heard the door open.

"These are incredible," he heard Hisakawa say behind him.

"I'm not sure about the placement of these," Kaoru said, not turning around. He had blown up four of Hikaru's photographs; two were stereotypical images of the falls at Takachiho Gorge, but one focused on the swirl of an eddy as it left the riffle for the run, and one was a black and white shot that had been hand-tinted to show the autumn foliage of a single tree.

Hisakawa was silent. Kaoru turned, looking at her. She was staring at the pieces, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. _She's a lot cuter than I remember_, he thought. _But her manners leave something to be desired. She could at least say hello._

"May I?" she asked. Kaoru gestured toward the canvases, as if to say_ go ahead._ Hisakawa stood for another few moments, her head cocked to the side as the studied the pieces. To Kaoru's surprise, instead of rearranging Hikaru's shots, she first went to Kyoya's paintings. She pulled the smallest canvas out and placed it between largest of Hikaru's two photos. She then moved the water photograph so it was sandwiched between the last two paintings.

Kaoru studied her arrangement. The photos of the Takachiho falls framed Kyoya's study of a Carolina wren. The contrast of the panoramic landscapes framing the small bird brought out the intimacy of the painting. Hikaru's water photograph was set off by two cell studies Kyoya had done. The simplicity of the photograph accentuated the complementary simplicity of the painting's subjects, while the relatively constrained palette of Hikaru's shot helped bring forward the bright colors Kyoya had used to evoke nerve cells.

"That's pretty good," Kaoru said. It hadn't occurred to him to mix the media like that.

"It just seemed to work better like that," Hisakawa replied. "I hope you don't mind."

"Hang on," he said, grabbing Hikaru's last canvas, the hand-tinted tree, as well as the easel it stood on.

"Between the kimonos, yes?" Hisakawa asked, already moving the two dress form models further apart so Kaoru could place the photo between them. He smiled gratefully at her as he placed the easel down in its new spot. _That's a nice surprise. I didn't expect to work with someone who actually knows what they're doing._

"What do you think?" he asked, as they stepped to the back of the classroom to get the full effect.

"Well, it's certainly a visually arresting display," Hisakawa said. She moved to look more closely at the painting of the small brown bird. "I don't think I've ever seen this bird. Do you know what it is?"

"It's a Carolina wren. They're fairly common in Washington, D.C. Kyoya lived there for about five years before moving back to Japan with his wife a few months ago."

"Coming from Ootori, I understand the anatomy paintings, but why the wren?" Hisakawa wrinkled her forehead, obviously puzzled.

Kaoru grinned. "It's his wife's favorite bird. She actually threatened to skin me alive if anything happened to this particular canvas."

"She sounds delightful," Hisakawa said drily.

"Actually, she is," Kaoru said mildly. "We've become very good friends."

"I'm sorry." Hisakawa had the grace to look ashamed. "Sometimes I speak without thinking. I meant no disrespect to Ootori-sama."

_Sure you didn't,_ Kaoru thought, but decided to let it lie. "So, Hisakawa-san, how did you become a teacher at Ouran?" he asked instead, turning the full force of his charm on.

"I guess I just stumbled into the position," she said, meeting his eyes straight on. "I had just graduated from Ouran University with my teaching credential, and a position had opened up in the elementary division." She laughed, a little uncomfortably. "I hadn't exactly planned on teaching at Ouran after attending this academy as a student for so many years, but Chairman Suoh thought I could bring a unique perspective to the faculty. He was very persuasive."

_There's a shock,_ Kaoru thought wryly. Like his son, Yuzuru Suoh was impossible to stop once he'd set his mind on something. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a rush of students entering the classroom. He gave Hisakawa a helpless smile. She nodded to him, and moved to the front of the class.

"Everyone, I'd like to welcome a special visitor. This gentleman was once a student in this very classroom. I know you will all be on your best behavior so you don't embarrass yourselves or your teacher," Hisakawa addressed the class sternly.

_I definitely don't remember her being this confident, _Kaoru thought as he walked in front of the class. _But the whole _strict-teacher_ thing could be kind of a turn-on. If I was looking for something like that. _"Hello, students. You may address me Hitachiin-sensei. I think we're going to get to know each other very well over the next year."

XxXxXxX

Megumi unlocked her car, sinking gratefully into the driver's seat. She had to admit it; Hitachiin had been nothing short of magnificent. He had the students absolutely eating out of his hand. _It probably doesn't hurt that he comes from one of the top five richest families in the entire country, _she thought uncharitably. But the truth was, even accounting for the expected amount of bootlicking, the students had responded to his enthusiasm. _Well, I guess the legendary Hitachiin charm hasn't faded any in ten years, _she told herself. _Everyone seemed to love him back in high school, too._

It had been a long week, and Megumi was looking forward to nothing more than a hot bath and a glass of wine. She turned the key in the ignition. The engine coughed a few times, but refused to turn over. "Fabulous. This is exactly what I needed right now," she grumbled to herself. She waited a minute, then tried the engine again. Nothing.

"Need help?" A voice came from outside her window. Megumi shrieked, startled.

"Jeez, settle down. It's just me." She looked up into the face of Hitachiin, who was giving her a cocky smile.

"I thought you'd already left. Class ended two hours ago," she said lamely.

"Nope. I wandered around a little bit. Revisiting old memories, that sort of thing," he said, a little melodramatically, in Megumi's opinion. "What's the problem?"

"My car won't start. I don't think it's the battery—the lights and everything are working just fine."

"Let me try," Hitachiin said.

"What, you think because you have a penis it will magically start for you?" Megumi asked caustically, even as she slid out from the driver's seat.

"Well, you've sure changed," Hitachiin muttered, clearly not caring whether or not Megumi overhead. He tried turning the key. Nothing. He tried several more times in rapid succession.

"Will you stop it? You're going to flood the engine," Megumi fretted.

"I think it's probably your starter," Hitachiin said after trying one more time.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, the fact that it's not starting is a pretty good clue," Hitachiin grinned up at her. "Actually, I don't know much about how cars work. But you have to admit—I did sound very manly just now."

_"_Oh, very," she agreed, rolling her eyes.

Hitachiin pulled out his phone. "I'm going to call my mechanic. He'll come deal with this and I'll give you a ride home."

"I really don't think that's appropriate," Megumi started, but he cut her off.

"Don't be ridiculous. After all, I'm the one who flooded the engine and probably broke your starter." Hitachiin turned away and started talking into the phone.

_That doesn't even make sense,_ Megumi thought. _He's just talking to hear himself speak, isn't he? God, is it really true that men don't mature until they're in their 30s? And how presumptuous, just charging in and taking over the situation._

Hitachiin hung up and smiled at her, grabbing her hand and towing her over to a low-slung blue Bentley. It looked surprisingly modest, although Megumi was certain she'd have a heart attack if she looked up the price. The Hisakawa family was rich compared to most of Japan, but the Hitachiins were in another class entirely. _On every conceivable level_, Megumi reminded herself as Hitachiin opened the door for her.

"Beautiful car," she murmured once he'd settled in the driver's seat.

"Thanks," he gave her another roguish grin. Then he suddenly sobered. "Oh, shit."

"What?" Megumi asked warily.

"I completely forgot. I was supposed to have dinner with the guys tonight. The old Host Club. Tamaki's going to be furious if I skip out, and I'm already running late." He glanced over at Megumi. "I know-why don't you come with?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Megumi demurred. "I'd just be intruding."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure Huni and Mori would love to see you again."

Megumi wavered. She _would _like to see Huni and Mori again, as well as Haruhi. The three of them had always been her favorites among the Hosts. "Haruhi too?"

Hitachiin laughed. "You won't even recognize her. She's as big as a house."

Megumi gave him a hard stare. "Excuse me?"

"She's almost eight months pregnant," Hitachiin explained, unable to keep a giant smile off his face. "That's why Tamaki is strict about getting together; I think he knows that once that baby is born his schedule is suddenly going to get a whole lot busier."

Megumi couldn't help but smile herself at the thought. But still … . "I don't know. I was planning on an early night."

"Honestly, Hisakawa-san, you'd be doing me a huge favor. Kyoya's wife doesn't know very many people in Japan yet, and I know he'd be very grateful to both of us if you came with me tonight. Besides, when was the last time you went out and had fun? I bet it was a while ago."

_Rat bastard,_ Megumi fumed silently. _That last part had to have been a shot in the dark, right?_ "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she smiled, hoping he couldn't see how irritated she was at him. _At least once I get there I can get a taxi home after dinner. And if Ootori thinks I'm doing him a favor, that will cancel out the favor he did me by loaning those paintings. _When she thought about it like that, she realized there was really nothing to lose. _Plus I'm going to make Hitachiin pay for my dinner,_ she thought sourly. _A while ago indeed!_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to felinesarefabulous and mutemuia for the favorites, and to mutemuia for the reviews. You know how much I love you for that! :)


	5. Chapter 5

"Megu-chan!" A slight blond man bounced up from the table in the back corner of the piano bar as Megumi and Kaoru entered the dimly lit room.

"Huni?" Megumi said disbelievingly as he grabbed her hands and spun her around before pulling her into a hug. "You've grown!" At five foot four, he was still nowhere close to tall, or even average height, but Megumi couldn't get over the change. The cherubic young boy she remembered was little more than a memory.

"Well, a bit," he smiled, pulling back. "Come say hi to Reiko and everybody else!"

Everybody else included Huni's wife, Reiko, and most of the rest of the former Host Club. Haruhi and Tamaki weren't at the table, but there were several empty seats indicating that they weren't far. Megumi slid into an empty seat between Reiko and Mori.

Mori smiled at Megumi, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Hey," he rumbled affectionately.

"Mori, it's so wonderful to see you again! You have to fill me in on what you've been up to! And Reiko! I don't think I've seen you since university!"

Reiko just smiled. Megumi remembered her as almost painfully shy, but she'd opened up somewhat since falling in love with Huni. Megumi had been fairly close with her during their last two years in high school. "I'm so happy to see you again, Megumi. We'll have to be sure to catch up," she said softly.

"Hello, Megumi!" Megumi looked up at Haruhi. She stared for a minute. Haruhi had allowed her hair to grow out, and it just brushed the tops of her shoulders. She was wearing an actual dress, and her stomach was swollen. She smiled at Megumi's confusion. "Bit of a change from last time you saw me, I guess."

"Um. Yes." Megumi stuttered. She'd had a bit of a crush on Haruhi in high school, and while she had known for years that he was actually a she, seeing her like this was giving her a bit of cognitive dissonance. "But you look beautiful. Congratulations on the baby, by the way."

Haruhi smiled and stroked her stomach. "Thanks. We're pretty excited." She looked around the table, and frowned when she saw Hikaru and Kaoru sitting next to each other. "Kaoru, you stole my seat."

"Hey, you snooze, you lose," The Hitachiin twins chorused. Megumi stiffened a little. _Shouldn't they show more respect to a pregnant woman?_

"Kaoru. Move," Mori said calmly, snaking his arm over to land on the back of Kaoru's chair. "Now."

"Fine," Hitachiin grumbled, moving away from his twin and into an empty seat next to Ootori, who had been ignoring everyone, his attention instead on the stage, where a young brunette woman was singing, accompanied by a tall blond on the piano.

_Oh. There's Suoh. Even though he's married, he still can't quite resist playing with the ladies, can he?_ Megumi thought. She focused for a minute, listening to the English lyrics. It sounded like an old jazz standard, although she couldn't quite place the tune. The woman finished the song with a high note, hitting it hard and then backing off immediately, allowing the note to bloom in intensity and volume as she held it far longer than Megumi could have.

There was scattered applause throughout the room, and surprisingly, Ootori's was the loudest and most enthusiastic. Reiko leaned in to whisper, "That's Laney, Kyoya's wife."

"Oh," Megmui whispered back. She was about to ask Reiko for more details when Ootori's wife spoke into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just one more song to sing for you tonight. This song is dedicated to two very special people; I'm sure they know who they are." She turned and flashed Tamaki a bright smile, which he returned before playing a quick arpeggio. Ootori's wife took a deep breath and began "_Things have come to a pretty pass, our romance is growing flat, For you like this and the other, while I go for this and that._"

_What an odd song to dedicate to your husband, Megumi thought, stealing a glance at Ootori._ He had a very small smile on his face as Suoh joined in, trading lines with the woman. _You say either, and I say either. You say neither, and I say neither. Either, either, neither, neither—Let's call the whole thing off._ Ootori looked over and caught Megumi staring at him. He raised his eyebrows.

"That's your wife, right? She's an exceptional singer," Megumi said hurriedly.

"She's exceptional in every way," Ootori responded, looking back at the stage. "You can't honestly expect that I would have married anyone who wasn't."

The rest of the table just laughed. _God, I never understood this group,_ Megumi thought to herself. H_aruhi, Huni, Mori, and Suoh are the nicest, sweetest people in the world, but the Hitachiins are just assholes, plain and simple no matter how much they tried to pretend otherwise And Ootori? One minute he's charming, the next minute he's cold as ice. Guess someone from a family like mine doesn't merit _charming_ anymore, though._ Just then, Kaoru smiled at her. "Don't mind Kyoya. I don't think he can sleep at night unless he's made at least one person cry."

Ootori sent him a poisonous glance. "I haven't filled that particular quota today, Kaoru. Are you volunteering?"

Hitachiin shrugged. "Better me than her, right?" He stood up. "Megumi, what can I get you to drink?"

"Asahi Black, please," Megumi replied. Hitachiin snapped off a quick salute before heading over to the bar. _Well, maybe he's marginally less of an asshole than he used to be,_ Megumi thought. To be fair, he'd actually been nothing other than sweetly respectful to her since his initial phone call last week. Leaving aside his crack about her non-existent social life, of course. But still, on the whole, maybe she could cut him a little slack. His brother, though … Megumi glanced at Hikaru out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't said a word to her, or acknowledged her presence in any way. He was staring at his phone, a scowl on his face. _Discretion is the better part of valor,_ she thought, turning back to Ootori. "Ootori-san, thank you so much for loaning your paintings to my class. The children very much enjoyed seeing your art, particularly your cell studies."

It was like a switch had been flipped. Ootori smiled at her, suddenly radiating confident charm. "The pleasure was all mine, Hisakawa-san. I'm always delighted to help out a former Ouran alum."

"Of course you are!" Suoh arrived at the table, Ootori's wife in tow; evidently they'd finished their song. "You are a former Host; the desire to please beautiful young women still runs strong in your veins."

"Tamaki, please stop rambling," Ootori sighed, pulling out Kaoru's vacated chair for his wife. "Laney, this is an old schoolmate of ours, Hisakawa Megumi. Hisakawa-san, my wife, Laney Ootori."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Ootori-san," Megumi said. "Thank you so much for the loan of your husband's paintings. I understand the bird one is a particular favorite of yours?"

"Please call me Laney. _Ootori-san_ makes me feel like I'm in the lab." Laney smiled, her fingers reaching up to toy with her necklace. "Kyoya painted that wren a couple months before we moved. I love Japan, but it is nice to have a few small reminders of home."

Hitachiin returned with two beers, setting one down in front of Megumi. "Hey!" he said to Laney. "I was sitting there."

"Sit someplace else," Ootori said, stretching his arm along the back of Laney's chair. His fingertips just barely brushed her shoulders.

Mori stood up, silently offering Kaoru his seat between Hikaru and Megumi. As he took the seat, Megumi heard both Hitachiins give a barely perceptible sigh. Kaoru reached over and squeezed his brother's hand for a quick second. Hikaru squeezed back, absently, finally looking up from his phone. "Laney, what does _zolstu vaksn vi a tzibeleh mit dem kop in dr'erd un di fis aroyf_ mean?"

Laney's brows drew together. "Let me see." Hikaru passed the phone over. Laney read the message. "Hikaru, what the hell did you say to her?" She sounded outraged.

"Nothing!" Hikaru said defensively. "What I want to know is what the hell she just said to me."

"May you grow like an onion, with your head in the ground and your feet in the air," Laney translated.

"Is that German?" Megumi asked. Granted, her German was rather rusty, but something sounded off about it.

"Yiddish," Laney said. "My best friend, Jen, tends to curse in Yiddish when she's really worked up about something. You pick it up after a while."

Megumi was about to ask why Hikaru was getting angry messages from Laney's friend when she felt a slight pressure on her knee. Turning her head, she caught Kaoru's eye, and he gave a slight shake of his head. _Okay, sensitive topic,_ she thought.

Suddenly, Haruhi gave a hiss of pain and rubbed her stomach. All conversation stopped as everyone turned to her. Suoh looked worried, but Haruhi just shook her head. "It's nothing, just a particularly vicious kick."

The twins looked at each other. "Starlight kick," they both said sotto voce.

"Suoh-san, your father must be very excited about having the Suoh line continue," Megumi said politely.

"Tamaki, please. We're all old friends here," he smiled dazzingly at her. "And yes, both my parents are enormously excited, as is Haruhi's father. We're all so happy to welcome a new family member." He placed his hand gently over his wife's belly, rubbing in small circles.

Wow. I forgot what he's like when he turns it on full force. No wonder half the school was in love with him, Megumi thought.

"But as for having the Suoh line continue? Haruhi and I decided we have no desire to push our children into taking over the family business." The couple exchanged a fond smile. "They'll be free to decide their own paths."

"I think that's wonderful," Megumi said sincerely. "So many of the children in my class right now are under tremendous pressure, even though they're not even teenagers yet. I actually had most of these students in my class a few years ago, when I was teaching second grade. Trying to satisfy their parents' ambitions have twisted some of them almost out of recognition."

"That's terrible," Haruhi said.

"I agree. That's why this project Hitachiin-san has been helping me with is so—"

"Wait." Laney interrupted, her eyes unfocused. "You said _twisted,_ right? _Twisted_ out of recognition?"

"Yes," Megumi said uncertainly.

Laney remained silent for a minute, looking off into space. Then she stood up. "How unbelievably stupid. Twisted!" She brushed her lips against her husband's cheek absently. "I'll be home when I'm home. Probably not tonight." She pulled out her phone, dialing a number as she left. "Toshi? No, meet me at the lab right now. I want to try something."

Megumi stared after her. "What the hell?"

Everyone looked at Ootori. He shrugged. "I keep telling you people she's a genius, but no one ever believes me." He looked at Megumi, taking in the shocked expression on her face. "Please don't take it personally. She's been stuck on a project for about three weeks now; evidently your comment shook something lose."

_Well, I can see why Hitachiin said this woman didn't have many friends,_ Megumi thought. Hitachiin leaned close to her, explaining, "She really is a genius, actually. She's doing her post-doc in cellular and molecular biology at Todai. Sometimes her head is just … someplace else. Trust me, she's going to be mortified once she remembers what she just said."

Megumi looked over to Mori for confirmation. Out of all the former Hosts, she trusted his judgment the most. "She's nice," he said. He thought for a minute. "You'd probably like her a lot if you get to know her."

The conversation turned back to what everyone had been doing since high school. Even Hikaru eventually joined in, speaking animatedly about the ideas he and Kaoru were working on for their upcoming season. Megumi wound up pulling a sketchbook out of her bag and looked on as Hikaru sketched out a dress designed to mimic the swirl of autumn leaves in a windstorm.

Eventually Haruhi stood up, pleading exhaustion. "I'm sorry, everyone. I'd love to stay and catch up more, Megumi, but I don't think I can keep my eyes open anymore. This kid isn't letting me get any sleep at all." She yawned, digging her fists into the small of her back. "Kyoya, do you want a ride?"

"If it's not too inconvenient," he said, rising as well. "I asked Ajima to remain at Laney's disposal. I'm sure in another hour or so she'll remember she never ate dinner."

"And he is the master of the impromptu midnight snack," Tamaki said, returning with Haruhi's coat. "Come on, _mon ami._ We'll drop you off at your lonely home."

Kyoya rolled his eyes. "Hisakawa-san, it was a pleasure to see you again. And again, I apologize for my wife's rudeness. I assure you it was quite unintentional."

"Not at all," Megumi said politely. She seemed like a spoiled brat, but if Mori says she's nice …

"We should be going as well," Huni said, smiling at Reiko.

The group broke up quickly after that, exchanging hugs and promises to keep in touch. Megumi noticed Kaoru looking worriedly at his brother. Evidently so did Mori. He quietly asked Hikaru for a ride home, nodding reassuringly at Kaoru.

"What was that about?" Megumi asked as Hitachiin walked her back to his car.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Hikaru's going through a bit of a rough spot, lately," he hedged. "Girl trouble."

"Mmm." Megumi didn't push the issue, and Hitachiin gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Hitachiin-san. This turned out to be a nice evening."

"Kaoru," he said. Megumi tilted her head, and he said, "You call almost everyone else by their first name. It makes me feel like kind of an asshole, to be honest. Please just call me Kaoru."

_Well, he's certainly turning out to be more perceptive than I thought._ "Kaoru," she said, trying it out, and was rewarded with another smile. _God, he is_ really _attractive when he smiles like that,_ she thought. She didn't remember him being this good-looking in high school. Or smelling this good. _OK, I think I officially drank one too many beers,_ she thought, shaking her head a little to clear it.

"Everything okay?" Kaoru asked solicitously as he opened the car door for her.

"Yeah. Just …" Megumi hesitated, then decided she might as well let the beer talk. "You are a _lot_ nicer than you were in high school, you know?"

Kaoru nearly doubled over laughing. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh. But I've been thinking all night that you're a lot less nice than you were in high school." He straightened, leaning against the door and looking at her appraisingly. "No, that's not true. You're just a lot more outspoken. I remember you as being this incredibly shy girl who wouldn't even look at us."

"I wasn't shy. I just didn't like you very much," Megui said, a little nettled.

"You never bothered to get to know us," Kaoru pointed out.

"Neither did you," Megumi returned.

Kaoru held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "All right. Let's both agree that neither of us was exactly at our best during our teenage years. Pax?"

Megumi looked at him. "Pax," she agreed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry for the long lapse between updates. It has been a WEEK, y'all. I'm going to try to get at least 1-2 updates a week done, but I'm not sure I'll be too much faster than that. There's a lot going on right now.

Thank you so much to mutemuia and No-Time Lord for reviews, and to Hpforeva88 for the favorite. Y'all rock. :) The song Laney and Tamaki are singing is Gershwin's delicious "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." In case anyone is curious, the song Laney sings immediately beforehand, but Megumi doesn't recognize is another Gershwin, "How Long Has This Been Going On."


	6. Chapter 6

Once Kaoru had dropped her off, Megumi immediately dug through her bag for her phone. _Chiyo is going to _die _when she hears about my night._

"So. You'll never guess who I had dinner with tonight," Megumi started, kicking off her shoes and turning on the kettle.

"Just tell me," Chiyo said.

"Remember the Host Club?" Megumi had to hold the phone away from her ear as Chiyo squealed.

"How did _you_ have dinner with _them?" _Chiyo asked. "Tell me _everything._ Are they still as good-looking as they used to be? Was everyone there? Is Huni still married to that awful girl?"

"Calm down, Chiyo." Megumi opened her cabinet, trying to decide what kind of tea she wanted. "Yes, everyone was there. And Huni is still married to Reiko, who is not awful—they seemed very happy. Yes, everyone is still very good looking." _Chamomile? Or jasmine?_

"So what _you_ doing there, Megu?"

"It's a bit of a funny story. Hitachiin Kaoru came to my class today—"

Chiyo made a dismissive noise. "Still as horrible as ever, I assume?"

"Well, no," Megumi said slowly. "Actually, he wasn't horrible at all. In fact, I wonder if we may have misjudged the two of them a little bit back then."

"Remember how rude they were to me?" Chiyo replied heatedly. "We promised we would always hate them for the nasty games they used to play. I was just a young girl in love, and they humiliated me!"

"Oh come on, Chiyo." Megumi said, deciding on the jasmine after all. "You weren't in love with Hikaru; you hardly knew him. You had a schoolgirl crush."

"They still didn't need to humiliate me," she sniffed. "Of course, given their display in high school, I guess I know why they turned me down. Perverts."

_Does she even realize she's talking about them as though they were one person?_ Megumi sighed. "Haruhi was there—did you know she was pregnant?"

"You're kidding. I can't believe Tamaki actually married her. I mean, they can't possibly have anything in common. Was she dressed like a man again?"

"Considering she's almost eight months pregnant, I think that would be difficult," Megumi said drily. _What has gotten into her tonight?_ She knew Chiyo liked to gossip, but she didn't remember her as being quite this nasty. Then again, it had been a while since they actually had a conversation about anyone other than Chiyo.

"So, Kyoya was there too?"

_That's right, she always had a thing for Ootori_. "Yes, along with his wife. She left pretty quickly, so I don't have any details for you about her." _Probably not the best idea to talk trash about an Ootori_.

"I heard they only got married so he could get control of her father's company. He was completely forced into it by his father. I feel so bad for Kyoya," Chiyo said.

"He didn't seem particularly unhappy with her," Megumi said cautiously.

"Well, he wouldn't, would he? You know Kyoya, always the perfect gentleman." Chiyo sighed. "Trapped in a loveless marriage, and he was always the handsomest one of them all, too. What a waste."

"So, how's your husband doing?" Megumi asked, hoping the irritation she was starting to feel with Chiyo wasn't too obvious.

"Oh, we're blissfully happy, of course. He just left for a business meeting in China, but he should be home in another week."

"Maybe we could get together," Megumi suggested. "It's been what, five months?"

"Oh, Megumi, I wish I could. You don't know how much I do. But my schedule is simply packed. I'm having tea with my mother-in-law tomorrow, and then I have to get together with some of the wives of Goro's business associates, and then I have my tennis lesson." Chiyo laughed, a tinkly, insincere sound. "I'm afraid I just don't have the freedom of someone like you!"

"Someone like me?" Megumi repeated.

"You know what I mean. You're not involved in your family's business, so you don't really have any responsibilities."

_I did not know that ogling your hot tennis instructor counted as a responsibility,_ Megumi thought. But she forced a laugh. "Oh Chiyo, you always say the worst things."

"Of course I do! That's why we're friends, right?"

After saying their goodbyes, Megumi stared into her teacup. _When was the last time Chiyo acutally said something nice to me, or had time for me?_ She remembered what Hitachiin—no, Kaoru—had said about Ootori's wife as he drove her back home: _She had a fairly tight group of friends back in DC, and she's really missing that here. She really doesn't know anyone outside of work and our group. I know she didn't exactly make the best first impression, but I hope you'll give her another chance. She's a good person, and a good friend._ Megumi had the sudden uncomfortable feeling that she herself didn't have quite as many good friends as she had once thought.

She took a sip of tea. _Why would he think I'd do him a favor? And more importantly, why do I feel like I owe him a favor? _She thought back to the other surprising statement he'd made: _You never bothered to get to know us._ He'd had an excellent point. In seventh grade Chiyo had slipped a love letter onto Hikaru's desk, and he'd passed her a note asking her to meet him in the courtyard after school. Megumi had never gotten the exact details of what had happened at that meeting, but Chiyo had run away from the courtyard in tears, telling her that both Hitachiin brothers had humiliated her for no reason. Megumi had instantly and without question taken her best friend's side. The two swore eternal hatred for the Hitachiins, and Megumi had never bothered to question Chiyo's story.

_But Kaoru has been really nice, and Chiyo has been … not so nice, lately,_ Megumi mused. _I wonder what really happened that day._

XxXxXxX

After dropping Megumi off, Kaoru went straight to Hikaru's apartment, unlocking the door with his key. The apartment was empty. He checked his phone; he had one text from Mori. –_He just dropped me off._ The time stamp was about 20 minutes ago.

-_He talk to you?_

-_Nope._

_-You talk to him?_

_-Nope._

Kaoru sighed in frustration. –_You're very helpful, you know?_

_-He'll talk when he's ready._

-_Sure, but I'd prefer that to happen _before_ he gets alcohol poisoning or something else equally as stupid._

-_He had only two beers. You were distracted._

-_He had three, and I'm never so distracted that I don't notice what he's doing._

_-That's going to be a problem for you someday. Goodnight, Kaoru._

"What the hell does that mean?" Kaoru said to himself. Before he could try to parse it out, the door opened and Hikaru walked in. He took one look at Kaoru and groaned.

"Really, Kao? You had a chance to get lucky tonight, and you're here instead to bust my balls?"

"I'm not here to bust your balls," Kaoru said, ignoring the first part of his brother's comment. "I'm just worried about you. I thought maybe you'd want to talk."

"I thought I was the big brother. Why are you so set on taking care of me?" Hikaru wandered into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"

Kaoru followed him. "Do you really think you should be drinking more?" he asked, wincing when he heard how waspish he sounded.

Hikaru rolled his eyes as he pulled two bottles of Ramune out of the fridge. "Strawberry or plum?"

"Oh," Kaoru said, trying not to feel like an idiot, and failing. "Plum, I guess."

"Here," Hikaru handed him the bottle. "You're not going to leave this alone, are you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Probably not." Kaoru nudged Hikaru aside, poking his head into the fridge. "You got anything to eat?"

"Bottomless pit," Hikaru grumbled good-naturedly as Kaoru sniffed interrogatively at a container of leftover noodles.

The brothers settled at the table, both picking half-heartedly at the cold noodles. "Well?" Kaoru prompted. "What was that all about tonight, Hikaru?"

"I don't know, Kaoru. Your little friend certainly seemed receptive to you, so I have no idea what you're doing at my place instead of hers right now," Hikaru replied, stabbing at a noodle viciously.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. You spent half the night glaring at your phone. And it's not just tonight. You've spent the last two and a half weeks in an increasingly foul mood, and honestly, Hikaru, I'm sick and tired of having to put up with it."

Hikaru sighed and leaned back, interlacing his fingers behind his head. "I told Jen I was getting a little tired of this whole long-distance thing. She … wasn't really pleased with that."

Kaoru took a sip of his drink. He knew any discussion of his brother's relationship, or lack thereof, with Jen Shapiro was always like walking on thin ice. He had to move delicately. "Okay."

"I told her I thought she should move here. Kyoya could get her a job in one of his hospitals, no problem. And you know Laney would love to have her closer."

"And her reaction to that?"

Hikaru laughed. "What do you think? She was pissed, man. You know Jen. She said she didn't think she should have to be the one who uprooted her whole life, and that if being so far apart was bothering me, maybe I should be the one to move."

"And you said what?" Kaoru asked, with a sinking feeling in his stomach. _Probably something stupid._

Hikaru had the grace to look mildly ashamed. "I told her that was impossible. I can't leave our company, and I certainly couldn't leave _you,_ could I?"

"No! Of course you couldn't!" Kaoru said swiftly. In the back of his mind he thought about Mori's text: _That's going to be a problem for you someday._

"Anyway," Hikaru went on, interrupting Kaoru's chain of thought, "I texted her tonight, letting her know I was going to be in New York in two weeks, and asking if she wanted to get together. Evidently she doesn't."

"So let me get this straight," Kaoru said, taking another bite of noodles. "You tell her you don't want a long-distance relationship, but you're not willing to change the situation so that's not a factor anymore. Then you ask her for a booty call. And you're wondering why she's upset."

"Well, when you put it like _that,_" Hikaru frowned. "I wasn't asking for a booty call. I just wanted to get together for dinner or something. I just … I miss her, is all. I miss talking to her."

"Did you try telling her that?"

"Once she starts in with the Yiddish, she's pretty much past the point of listening to reason."

"Hikaru, did you ever think that maybe this thing between you two is never going to work out? Maybe you just ought to think about finding a girlfriend here, rather than pining after someone on the other side of the world," Kaoru said cautiously. He'd made this suggestion a couple times before, and the result had always been Hikaru blowing up and refusing to speak to him for a few days.

"I don't know," Hikaru sighed, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them. "Maybe you're right." Just then, his phone pinged. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the screen, then grinned. "Then again, maybe you're wrong." He showed the text to his brother.

-_Dinner Friday night, my place? You need to bring the food, though._

"Great," Kaoru tried to muster up some enthusiasm. _So now they're just going to start the whole vicious cycle over again. They're neither of them stupid; why can't they just leave each other alone? Why do they insist on tearing each other apart like this?_

Hikaru's grin got wider as he continued to text Jen. "You bad girl," he chuckled under his breath.

"Ugh, I do not need to hear this," Kaoru stood, ready to collect the empty dishes and bring them back into the kitchen.

"Sorry." Hikaru did not sound the least bit contrite as he put away his phone. "You were right—I told her I just wanted to talk to her, and that seemed to mollify her a bit." He leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs, and looked up at his younger brother. "But enough about my love life. You never answered my question. What the hell are you doing here instead of with Hisakawa?"

"Unlike you, I am a gentleman," Kaoru sniffed, turning his back on his brother as he brought the dishes over to the sink. "Besides, there's absolutely nothing going on between us except professional respect."

"She's certainly come out of her shell," Hikaru mused, making no move to help Kaoru. "Those are always the wildest ones, I think."

"You'd know better than I would," Kaoru said mildly. "But it turns out she never was all that shy; she just hated us."

"That's ridiculous. Who could hate us?" Hikaru sounded insulted. Kaoru just looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh come on, we weren't that bad."

"Yes, we were, and you know it. We were absolute pills before Tamaki came along. Evidently we pissed Megumi off at some point, and I guess she held a grudge."

"Oh, _Megumi_, is it now? And there's nothing between you two but professional regard, right?"

"That's right." Kaoru finished washing off the dishes, and stacked them neatly in the dish rack. "Honestly, Hikaru, there's not exactly a lot of time in my life right now for a relationship. And believe it or not, I'm really excited about this project Megumi and I have going for the kids. I don't want to do anything to screw that up."

"Kaoru." Hikaru walked over to his brother, grabbing his shoulders and looking him straight in the eye. "You really,_ really_, need to straighten out your priorities."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to mutemuia for the review and foreveradreamerinlife for the favorite! Thank you all so much for your patience, as I know I've been on the slow side with updating this story.


	7. Chapter 7

Kyoya woke up, conscious of a delicious warmth at his back. Smiling, he rolled over and curled around his wife, burying his face in her hair. "Morning," he mumbled, still half asleep.

Laney turned over, burrowing into his chest. "Just a few more minutes," she murmured sleepily.

"It's Sunday, love. You don't have to get up," Kyoya reminded her, one hand idly stroking along the curve of her hip.

"You're making it hard to go back to sleep." Laney's voice was rough with exhaustion.

Kyoya stilled his hands. "Want me to stop?"

"Never," Laney threw one leg over her husband. She raised her head, brushing her lips against Kyoya's before gently biting his ear. "I always sleep better afterwards, anyway."

Chuckling, Kyoya rolled, hovering over his wife. "Glad you're back," he whispered before kissing her hungrily.

Some time later, Laney wandered into the kitchen. "Coffee?" she asked blurrily.

Kyoya got up from the table, where he had been reading, and crossed to the counter, kissing his wife's forehead in passing. He poured her a fresh cup, then topped off his own mug as well. "What time did you get in last night?" he asked as she gratefully accepted the mug he passed her.

Laney took a sip before answering, closing her eyes in bliss. "This morning, you mean. About 3:30. I thought about just crashing at the lab again, but I wanted to come home. I missed you." She took another sip, smiling at Kyoya. "Besides, you sleep like the dead. I knew there was no way I was going to disturb you when I snuck in."

"I wouldn't have minded even if you had. You know how to pacify me."

Laney grinned. "By the way, you need to give Ajima a substantial raise. I don't think anyone at the lab would have eaten over the last couple days if it hadn't been for him and his sandwiches."

"That's his job, Laney," Kyoya pointed out cooly. "But I'll be sure to let him know how much I appreciate him looking out for my best girl."

"I'd better be your _only _girl."

"My one and only," Kyoya smiled at her. "I set up that meeting with my father and brothers you asked for. Wednesday morning work for you?"

"I think so. I'll check with Toshi and Dr. Inouye to be sure. And tell your father he's going to want to bring this to the board immediately, so he needs to keep a space clear for that."

Kyoya's eyes widened. "That big?"

"On a scale of 1-10?" Laney asked. "This has the potential to be about a 20."

"You have my complete attention," he said, setting down his mug.

"I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We're not even close to starting clinical trials. But between the models we ran and the early results from lab tests? I'm excited, Kyoya. I have a really good feeling about this."

Kyoya nodded, thinking. "I'll recommend that the board fully funds your research. Do you need an assistant? The more people we have in that lab on the Ootori books, the better."

Laney shook her head. "I disagree. Ootori Group is already funding Toshi's post-doc fellowship, not to mention the generous research grant you pushed through. Any more, and I'm worried questions are going to start to get raised about the validity of our research. Too much money from a pharmaceutical corporation could turn this whole thing sour."

"We're not just involved in pharmaceuticals," Kyoya reminded her tartly. "It's hardly unusual for hospital administration to seek out new and innovative treatment protocols for its patients."

"Maybe not, but no one likes a researcher who sleeps with big money." Kyoya laughed at that, and Laney blushed. "I meant in the metaphorical sense."

"Well, in the literal sense, I have a particular partiality to researchers who sleep with big money. In fact, I much prefer that scenario to researchers who sleep in their labs, leaving big money cold and lonely in the middle of the night, with no one to talk to but their cat."

"Please. Like Big Banking and Hospitality wasn't calling Big Pharma first thing on Saturday morning, wanting to track down the perfect cradle for the baby," Laney rolled her eyes. "You big money types are never lonely."

Kyoya shook his head. "It is going to be a miracle if I don't snap and kill him before that child is born."

"Speaking of which, I still need to get a present for Haruhi's baby shower," Laney said. "And I should pick something up to send to Amanda, too, while I'm at it. Want to go shopping with me next weekend?"

"I can think of very few things I'd enjoy less," Kyoya replied.

"Oh come on," she cajoled. "I'd owe you one."

"As tempting as that prospect is, you'd have to owe me a lot more than 'one' to entice me to go shopping for baby clothes," Kyoya countered. "Make one of the twins go with you." Laney stuck her tongue out for an answer. "Speaking of the twins, I don't suppose you remember meeting Kaoru's schoolteacher friend?"

"I remember meeting her, but I don't think I exchanged more than a couple words with her before I—" Laney clapped her hands over her mouth as realization dawned on her. "Before I ran out without even excusing myself or saying goodbye."

"Plus I think she thought you were calling her stupid," Kyoya added helpfully.

"_Kyoya!"_ Laney admonished, looking stricken. "Please tell me you explained the situation to her."

"Of course I did. I never forget my manners."

Laney ignored that, grabbing Kyoya's phone.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm asking Kaoru for her number so I can apologize. Lord have mercy, Grandma would have skinned me alive for something like this."

"Calm down," Kyoya took the phone out of Laney's hands. "I have her contact information. Let's get some lunch, and you can call her after you've eaten."

"I'm really not comfortable putting this off," Laney said.

"Laney, you're an Ootori," Kyoya pointed out. "She can't afford not to forgive you."

"Seriously, Kyoya?"

Kyoya sighed and handed back the phone. "Call her up, but please keep in mind our family's dignity, and don't _grovel._"

Laney shot him a dirty look. "A sincere apology bears no resemblance to groveling, a lesson I believe you've had cause to learn once or twice over the past four years."

Kyoya raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "A lesson I have no intention of repeating today. Make your call, and then let's go get something to eat."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much to mutemuia and Rilawa for the reviews. This story is going to continue to be largely told from Kaoru and Megumi's viewpoints, but there will be occasional chapters like this showing Laney and Kyoya. I'll try to keep it to a minimum, as I don't want to distract too much from the main plot. But if you'd like to see more of those two, just let me know and I'll work in a few more than I'd originally planned. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Megumi stepped into the crowded restaurant, looking for Ootori Laney. She had just about zero inclination to be here, but her brother had convinced her otherwise. _You can't just ignore people like her and think there won't be any consequences,_ he'd said. Considering he was currently working on a contract renewal with the Ootori Group, she decided to take him at face value on this. _I can't believe how much I still get dragged into Hisakawa Janitorial business,_ she grumbled silently to herself. Of course, Kaoru was another factor. She genuinely enjoyed working with him, and she had a feeling that their cordial relationship might start to go a little sour if one of his best friend's wives hated her. So here she was, giving up a perfectly good Saturday afternoon to try to keep the boat from rocking too much.

"May I help you, miss?" a young lady asked as Megumi craned her neck, trying to find Laney.

"Yes, I'm meeting someone here. Ootori Laney? Is she here yet?"

The hostess's slightly bored expression vanished instantly. "Oh yes, miss. Right this way, miss. Ootori-sama is waiting for you."

_God, the way everyone jumps through hoops for these people is unbelievable_, Megumi thought.

Laney was at a corner table. The windows looked out over a small courtyard with a few trees covered in wisteria. She was staring out the window, the fingers of her right hand tapping a complicated pattern on the table. When she saw Megumi, she jumped up and bowed. "Hisakawa-san! I'm so sorry for my rude behavior the other night. Please accept my deepest apologies!"

Megumi was a bit taken aback. She wasn't quite sure what she'd expected, but it hadn't been this. "That's alright. I accept your apology. It's not really that big a deal, I guess."

Laney straightened up and waited for Megumi to take a sit before sitting back down at the table herself. "If I'd been twenty years younger and pulled a stunt like that, my grandma would have sent me out to the woods to pick a switch," she said. "I'm so glad you could make it today. I feel just awful about my rudeness. I've only been in Tokyo for a few months, and to be honest, I don't really have a lot of friends. Haruhi is wonderful, of course, but that baby will be here before you know it, and I'm sure she won't have much time after that. And Reiko and Mei are nice enough, but we don't really have much in _common_, you know? So I was so excited when Kaoru said he was bringing you the other night, and …" she stopped suddenly. "And I'm coming off as really desperate and a little creepy, huh?"

Megumi couldn't help laughing. "Maybe a little. What do you say we just wipe the slate clean and start all over?"

"That would be _excellent_," Laney breathed, clearly relieved. "I'm sorry—I'm running on a major sleep deficit here. I'm usually a little more pulled together, socially speaking. But to be honest, half my mind is always in the lab right now."

"Your husband said you had been stuck on a project?"

"Not anymore." Laney smiled beatifically. "I can't get into details, but your comment about things being twisted out of recognition gave me a skeleton key to open a number of locked doors. I'm enormously grateful."

"I'm sure you would have figured it out on your own," Megumi said.

"Probably," Laney responded, not bothering with false modesty. "But it may have taken another few months."

"So, Kaoru told me you moved back to Japan just a few months ago," Megumi said. "What prompted the move?"

Laney shrugged. "Kyoya, mostly. He took on a lot more responsibility in his family's business after finishing up at Georgetown. He spent most of the last year commuting back and forth between Tokyo and D.C., which was not fun for anyone involved, believe you me. So when Todai offered me a fellowship after finishing my doctorate, it didn't make any sense not to take them up on it."

"Still, you must miss your home," Megumi observed. _Todai offered her a post-doc? She can't really think her last name didn't have anything to do with that, can she?_

"I miss it like hell," Laney smiled ruefully. "But to be honest, government funding back in the States is not exactly fabulous, and with the upcoming election, it stands to get a lot worse. Japan is a lot more forward thinking in terms of the money they're willing to sink into research. And there are fewer restrictions when it comes to genetic research. It's entirely possible that I would have wound up here even if I'd never met my husband." She took a sip of her tea. "Assuming they would have offered the fellowship to Laney Johnson instead of Laney Ootori. I'm not unaware of the political ramifications of my name."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Of course it bothers me. I'm a woman, and I married into the most important family in the medical industry in Japan. So yes, when people assume that I got where I am because my husband's family exerted pressure, rather than on my own merits, it pretty much makes me see red. But like it or not, that's the reality I live in. So if my name helps me push projects forward and develop new treatment protocols, then all the better. Leukemia patients don't care about who the people making their drugs are or aren't sleeping with; they have more important things to worry about." Laney took a deep breath, clearly willing herself to relax.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a sensitive subject," Megumi said, feeling the smallest twinge of guilt. "I've never had to deal with those kinds of assumptions. Hisakawa Janitorial doesn't exactly command a lot of political sway. But I understand the frustration of not feeling like you're making own way in the world."

"Is that why you went into teaching?" Laney was clearly grateful for the change in subject.

"I love teaching. I love that moment when a student makes a connection and they just light up. I love seeing them come alive when they find their passion. Yes, it can be exhausting, thankless work, but there's no place I'd rather be than in the classroom," Megumi answered. "And I _like_ my students. They're such a wonderful combination of worldly and naïve. It's amazing to see them broaden their horizons."

"Have you always known that's what you wanted to do?" Laney asked.

"Pretty much. I used to tutor some of my classmates back in high school, and it kind of light the fire in me."

"I think it's maybe spreading to Kaoru," Laney said. "Hikaru told me he hasn't seen his brother this excited about anything in a long time."

"I was a little surprised at how much energy he's bringing to this," Megumi confessed. "When I asked the chairman to reach out to some alumni, I figured we'd get one or two people to come in and give a quick 20-minute presentation, but Kaoru's taking it way beyond that."

"He's not causing trouble, I hope."

"No, not at all! I've actually always wanted to do a curriculum like this, but I've never been able to justify it. The students were absolutely hooked when he came in last week. I've even had one or two already approach me with ideas for the individual projects Kaoru and I are asking them to think about."

"So he was good with the students?"

"He had them eating out of the palm of his hand," Megumi answered. "You have to admit, he's not short on charisma." _WHY did I say that? I sounded like a 15-year-old schoolgirl with a crush._

Laney gave her a sharp glance. "Hmmm. Well, none of those boys are, that's for sure. There's not a single one of them who couldn't bring coals to Newcastle and then get knighted for it." She gave Megumi a conspiratorial smile. "But something tells me you don't quite buy into his charm."

Megumi smiled back. "Maybe not quite as much as he'd like me to."

Laney laughed. "Don't let him fool you. Underneath the cocky charm, he's got a sweet streak a mile wide." She caught Megumi's eye. "He's one of the good ones."

_That was a warning if I've ever heard one,_ Megumi thought. _I know Kaoru said he was fond of her; it's pretty obvious the feeling is mutual. _The knowledge made her feel kinder towards Laney; knowing she was a loyal friend definitely helped counter the poor first impression she had made last week.

The two continued to chat through lunch, and, against all expectations, Megumi enjoyed herself immensely. Afterwards, Laney convinced her to accompany her while she went shopping for baby clothes.

"Haruhi's shower is in a few weeks, and my cousin Amanda is due with her first in about three months," Laney explained, sifting through the racks in a high-end store not far from the restaurant where they'd had lunch. "What do you think about this?" She held up an adorably ruffled peach dress.

"It's gorgeous," Megumi said hesitantly.

"But?" Laney pressed.

"Well, it _is _beautiful. But for one thing, lots of babies don't ever fit into newborn size. You probably want to get 3 months, at the smallest. And it doesn't seem particularly comfortable for an infant," Megumi told her. She selected a box of onesies in five different colors. "They're not as cute, but trust me, they'll get a lot more wear."

"Thanks," Laney said gratefully. She grabbed a second box of onesies, and selected a larger size of the ruffled dress. "So, these for practicality, and this for cute." She waited for Megumi's approving nod before making her way to the checkout.

As Laney paid, Megumi's phone rang. She checked the screen: Kaoru. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey! I thought we could grab dinner tonight—chat about how it went last week and start making plans for next month's session," Kaoru said enthusiastically.

"Um, I'm kind of busy right now."

"Hot date?"

"No," Megumi said. "Actually, I'm out with Ootori Laney."

"Perfect!" Kaoru enthused. "We can have dinner at her place. Hang on, I'm going to text her."

"Kaoru, wait!" Megumi fretted. "You can't just invite us over like that."

"They're used to it. I do it all the time."

_And Laney said he's one of the good ones? She must have an infinite amount of patience,_ Megumi thought, watching as Laney pulled out her phone and frowned, shaking her head.

Laney held her hand out for Megumi's phone, and Megumi passed it over. "Honey, you'd better not even be thinking of asking my poor overworked boy to cook tonight," Laney said into the phone. Megumi heard fast talking coming out of the phone, but she couldn't distinguish the words. "That's what I thought," Laney said. More talking. "No, honestly, he needs a relaxing evening. He's been right at redline lately. If y'all come over he won't have any excuse to work instead of taking a night off." Then, "I'm his wife. It's my job to worry about him." She handed the phone back to Megumi.

"So clearly I'm bringing dinner with me," Kaoru said. "Do you like tapas?"

"I guess so? I haven't had much Spanish food, but I'm not picky."

"Great! I'll see you guys in about an hour or so." He hung up.

Megumi looked at Laney. "I'm sorry about this," she said helplessly. "I can't believe he just imposed on you like that. I'm so embarrassed."

"Oh, don't be," Laney said breezily. "Kaoru usually shows up around dinner time at least once a week."

"That doesn't bother you?"

Laney shook her head. "He's family to Kyoya, so he's family to me. And family's always welcome in my house."

* * *

**Author's Note:** You guys. It has been a while, and I sincerely apologize. The first part of May I was visiting family (my sister-in-law married my son's godfather, in possibly the most awesome wedding ever). and then I had some fairly significant medical issues. I'm recovering, but it was really, really difficult to get my head back into this story. Please know how much I've appreciated everyone who has reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this story-you guys gave me some serious warm fuzzies during a very, very difficult time. The next chapter of this is already half written, so hopefully there will NOT be another monthlong lag between chapters.


	9. Chapter 9

Megumi had taken the train to lunch, so Laney drove them both back to the Ootori house, a few miles outside the city limits. "Kaoru can give you a ride, if that's okay with you," she had said. "Of if you'd prefer, I'm happy to run you back home."

"I couldn't put you to that much trouble," Megumi demurred as they pulled up to the house. At maybe 4,000 square feet, it was not much larger than her parents' home. It was set back from the main road a bit, giving the house a sense of privacy. It was very pretty, and she said so.

"Thanks. Honestly, I would have been happier with a house half this size, but evidently we have the Ootori reputation to maintain," Laney said. "But the patio out back is worth it. I practically live out there when the weather cooperates."

They walked into the house. Megumi was mildly surprised at the lack of staff. Catching her expression, Laney grinned. "We don't have any staff on the weekends. It's nice to have some privacy occasionally, you know?" She led Megumi into the large kitchen, where Ootori was pulling plates from a cabinet.

"Hey! Miss me?" Laney greeted her husband with a quick kiss.

"Yes, the four hours you were gone were sheer hell," Ootori said drily. "I'm not sure how I survived it."

"Don't get fresh with me," she said. "Megumi, what can I get you to drink?"

"A beer would be great."

Ootori took the top off the beer before handing her the bottle. "Want a glass?"

"Bottle's fine, thanks. Where's Kaoru?"

"Right here." Kaoru entered the kitchen, greeting Laney with a kiss on the cheek before crossing to Megumi and repeating the gesture.

_God, he smells fantastic_, she thought idly. _Is that cologne, or is it just him?_

"The food's all set up outside," he said. "Don't worry, Laney, your poor overworked husband didn't have to lift a finger."

"Poor, overworked husband?" Ootori asked mildly, turning to his wife.

Laney thrust the stack of plates into Kaoru's hands, adding napkins and utensils. "Here, take these outside."

"How am I supposed to carry my beer?"

"Kaoru, you are workin' my last nerve," she said in English, turning to pull two pitchers out of the refrigerator.

Ootori handed Megumi another opened bottle, indicating she should follow Kaoru outside. As she turned to leave, she caught Ootori bending down to whisper something to Laney.

When they got outside, she handed Kaoru his beer. "Is it really a good idea to wind him up like that?"

"That was nothing. You should hear Hikaru go at him. Besides, if Laney's worried about Kyoya working too much, keeping it a secret from him is hardly helpful." Kaoru took a swig of his beer.

"Yes, but there's a little thing called _tact._"

"Never heard of it."

Megumi ignored this and turned to look at the grounds. There was a small English garden bordering the patio on two sides, running riot with late spring flowers. A small cobblestone path ran through it, leading down to a rolling expanse of lawn. At the far edges, a series of hydrangeas were in full bloom before giving way to a barrier of firs. It was altogether lovely.

Laney came out onto the patio, carrying a tray with the pitchers and glasses. Her husband was close on her heels, and he busied himself lighting the citronella torches scattered around the patio.

"Megumi, can I get you some water or sweet tea?" Laney asked, setting the glasses out.

"Sweet tea?"

"I advise against it," Ootori said. "It's tea-flavored sugar water. Revolting." Laney gave her husband an unfriendly look.

"Laney, I would love some sweet tea," Kaoru said, full of innoence. "I think it's delicious."

"Flatterer," Laney grumbled, but she was smiling when she handed him his glass.

"I'll try some as well," Megumi said, more out of a sense of loyalty to her new friend than any real desire. She took a sip and coughed in shock. It was unbelievably sweet, the taste of the tea muted almost past recognition.

"I told you," Ootori said, regarding her with a sardonic smile.

"It's … maybe a little …" Megumi struggled to find something polite to say. "I don't really have much of a sweet tooth, I guess."

Laney laughed easily, passing Megumi a fresh glass of water. "Honey, that isn't even that sweet by Southern standards. The further south you go, the sweeter the tea."

"And the higher the rates of diabetes and illiteracy," Ootori murmured.

"Kyoya," Laney said, very softly, but with an unmistakable current of anger. He looked at her, and they shared a moment of tense, wordless communication. After a minute, the tension seemed to leave Ootori, and he picked up his wife's hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"I'm sorry," he said in English. "I'm tired, and in a bad mood, but I shouldn't take it out on you."

"This is _exactly_ why I wanted you to take a night off and relax," Laney said unhappily. Kyoya took his phone from his pocket, turned it off, and placed it facedown on the table. Laney let out her breath. "Thank you," she said.

During this exchange, Kaoru had politely ignored the arguing couple by loading Megumi's plate with various tapas. _For someone who just said he'd never heard of tact, he's sure handling this with a great deal of delicacy,_ Megumi thought. She smiled awkwardly at Kaoru, not sure whether their hosts had finished their argument. He bumped his knee against hers under the table, and she felt herself start to relax a little.

"So, Laney. Are you going to come talk to our class about music?" Kaoru asked.

_Our class?_ Megumi thought. _When did this become _our_ class?_

"I'm not sure I'd be the best choice," Laney was saying. "Tamaki knows much more about Japanese music than I do, although I have no idea when he'd fit a class visit into his schedule. I never learned any of the Japanese folk styles—my grandmother pretty actively discouraged it."

"I thought your grandmother loved music?" Megumi asked.

"My _other _grandmother," Laney explained. "Grandmother Yukimura doesn't have a problem with music, per se, but she's not exactly a big fan of 'peasant music,' as she terms it."

"Still, music is music, right? I mean, it can't be that different," Kaoru said.

"Really, Kaoru?" Laney was clearly insulted.

"I think he means what's behind the music," Megumi clarified gently. _They're all so touchy tonight. Are they always like this?_ "Surely the reasons for making music are the same everywhere, right?"

Laney thought. "Megumi, you're a painter, right? Why do you paint?"

Megumi wrinkled her brow. "I suppose," she slowly, "it's because I can't imagine not painting. I love the sensuality of colors, and I love the tactile sensation of the brush against the canvas. But even more than that, there's something in me that I can only express through art. I can't put it into words."

Laney nodded. "You're an _amateur." _She said the last word in English.

"An amateur?" Kaoru repeated in Japanese. "That's kind of rude, don't you think?"

"No," Ootori put in thoughtfully. "The root of the word is Latin. _Amo_, to love. An amateur is one who does something for love rather than professional gain."

"Music connects me to my family, and my history," Laney mused. "But even more than that, I sing because something in my soul would die if I couldn't. I've never wanted it to be my profession, but that doesn't mean music isn't still central to my life."

"It's a vocation," Kaoru said. "I didn't start designing jewelry for the sake of designing jewelry. It just … _called_ to me."

"And that's what I want our students to understand," Megumi said, starting to get passionate. "I want them to be able to hear art calling them."

"But that's never been the case for me," Ootori said. "I paint because it's soothing. I enjoy it, yes, but if I had to give it up tomorrow, I could. I'd miss it, but I'm not like Laney. She couldn't give up music anymore than she could give up breathing. I'm not like that. You shouldn't think all your students will feel a deep connection to the arts just because the three of you do."

"That's a good point," Megumi said slowly. "Ootori-san, if you were a student in my class, what would you want to get out of these lessons?"

Ootori thought for a minute before replying. "I think what would have been most helpful when I was that age was an understanding that the passion behind an artistic vocation was something that should be respected, even if I didn't share it, or even completely understand it. The technical aspects of any art can be taught, but form without passion is empty."

"That's why I think you should come sing for the class, Laney," Kaoru said. "We can pass out sheets beforehand with the translations of your songs, but what comes through when you sing is the emotion behind the words. Tamaki has that too, but I think it's easier to hear with the human voice than with the piano."

"Would you sing jazz, like you did with Suoh?" Megumi asked.

Laney shook her head. "Probably not. I love the songs, but I'm not especially good at the style. I'm pretty much riding Tamaki's coattails there."

"I don't think that's quite the case," Ootori said lightly, "but you're right—you're better singing the songs you grew up with. No one can match you on those old ballads."

"I can name ten people off the top of my head who can perform those ballads better than I can," Laney laughed, "but that's awful sweet of you."

"Ballads?" Megumi asked.

"The Child ballads came over from England and Scotland with the immigrants who first settled in the Appalachians. Later songs show a significantly heavier influence from African-American music, but the Child ballads have remained pretty pure. They're usually sung by a single voice with no accompaniment," Laney explained.

"Will you sing one for me? I'd like to hear what they're like."

Laney looked at her husband. "Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender?" he suggested. "Your grandma always said it was one of your best."

Laney shrugged, then straightened herself in her chair, scooting forward so she sat on the edge and her feet were planted firmly on the ground. She rolled her shoulders back and closed her eyes, tapping her finger gently on her table for four beats.

_Oh mother, oh mother, come riddle it down._

_Come riddle two hearts as one._

_Oh shall I marry Fair Ellender?_

_Or bring the brown girl home?_

_Well, the brown girl, she has house and lands,_

_Fair Ellender, she has none._

_Oh, the best advice I can give you my son_

_Is go bring me the brown girl home._

Megumi listened, rapt. She couldn't understand the words, but the pathos of the three lovers came clearly through Laney's voice. Kaoru had whispered the basic gist of the story at the beginning of the song, but then fell silent as Laney's song rang out through the garden.

_Lord Thomas he drew his sword from his side_

_As he ran through the hall_

_He chopped off the head of his bonny brown bride_

_And kicked it against the wall._

_Then putting the handle against the wall_

_And the blade a-toward his heart_

_Saying did you ever see three true lovers meet _

_That had so soon to part._

_Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave_

_And dig it both wide and deep,_

_And bury Fair Ellender in my arms,_

_And the brown girl at my feet._

"Lord Thomas was an idiot," Ootori said. "That whole affair could have been avoided if he'd just kept his mouth shut and not told his ex-girlfriend exactly how much he preferred her to his wife—right in front of the poor woman, no less. Lord Daniel in _Matty Groves_ is a far more sympathetic character."

"Didn't he also chop off his wife's head and kick it against the wall?" Kaoru said.

"He was justified. She'd cuckolded him in his own bed. Plus he let her be buried with her lover, which I think was a pretty generous gesture, considering."

"Is that a common theme?" Megumi asked faintly. "Chopping off heads and kicking them against walls?"

Laney chuckled. "As far as I know, that particular phrase only pops up in a couple songs. But yes, murder and unsuccessful love affairs do seem to make up the bulk of the Child ballads."

"Maybe you could sing some slightly less violent songs? For the children?" Megumi pleaded.

"How about this one? It really goes better with something behind it, but I'm decent enough on the dulcimer to accompany myself," Laney said, before singing a swift, bouncing tune.

When she had finished the verse, Ootori smiled broadly. "That's one of my favorites. She's telling the Virginia girls not to marry any West Virginia boys, because if they do all they'll ever have to eat is poor food and tea. The West Virginia boys dress badly, and their idea of good conversation is asking whether a girl's father has shot a bear."

"The kids will like that one," Megumi agreed.

"I'll email you some files," Laney said. "You can pick out which songs you think are appropriate for a classroom setting, and then Kyoya and I can translate them."

They turned their attention to the food. Laney and Megumi only picked at their dinner, still largely full from lunch. Even so, Kaoru kept sliding more delicacies onto Megumi's plate, insisting that she had to try this one, or she was sure to love that one. _It's annoying, but he's so enthusiastic it's hard to get mad at him_, Megumi thought. He told her stories about encountering each kind of food during his many trips to Spain, and about the time he and Hikaru tried to get Haruhi to teach them how to cook.

"It was a _disaster,_" he confessed. "Hikaru and I were both convinced that our palettes were sophisticated enough that we didn't need to follow the instructions closely. Which I take it can sometimes be true for combining flavors, but certainly not for the application of heat. That is one area where you don't want to improvise, it turns out. But I finally mastered it, even though Hika never did."

"Mastered?" Ootori asked dryly.

"Hey, I can cook better than your wife, at least," Kaoru shot back.

Neither Ootori nor Laney seemed to mind this insult. "Well, at least I can clean," Laney said lightly as she rose from the table and started collecting empty plates. "Kyoya, want to give me a hand?"

"My pleasure," he said smoothly, taking the stack of dishes from Laney. The two of them disappeared into the house, leaving Megumi and Kaoru sitting on the patio.

"I should really go see if they need any help," Megumi said after a few minutes, starting to rise from her chair.

Kaoru grabbed her hand and tugged her back down. "No, you really shouldn't."

"We already imposed on their hospitality by inviting ourselves over. The least I can do is help clean up," she said, disengaging her hand from Kaoru's.

"First of all, you didn't invite yourself over, I did, so if anyone owes them something it's me."

"Well then, maybe _you_—"

"Second of all," Kaoru went on, "they're almost definitely making out in the kitchen right now, and trust me, because I'm speaking from experience here, Kyoya does _not_ appreciate being walked in on."

"Oh, come on," Megumi said. "You're kidding, right?"

"Well, it's not like Laney _does _appreciate it, but Kyoya can hold a grudge like nothing you've ever seen. Hikaru and I got him smashed at his bachelor party, and you'd think he'd forget about it, seeing as it was A—his _bachelor party_, and B—four years ago, but no. No, every so often, he comes out with some little comment about how the other shoe is going to drop and we will be _sorry_, and—"

"Kaoru!" Megumi cut him off, sensing that if she didn't he was quite capable of carrying on for at least another five minutes. "Wait, why does he blame _you_ for getting drunk? Did you hold a gun to his head?"

"Well," Kaoru said evasively, not meeting her eyes. "We may have made his drinks a little … _stronger_… than he might have expected."

"On second thought, maybe I'm better off not knowing any of the details."

"Plausible deniability is always a good strategy with Kyoya," Kaoru nodded sagely. "The key word being _plausible_."

Megumi didn't have an answer for that. She looked out into the garden. The night-blooming jasmine was starting to open, filling the air with its delicate scent. She took a deep, appreciative breath.

"Oh," Kaoru said after a minute. "Oh, you mean the making out part."

"Never mind," Megumi said. "It's none of my business."

"Hey, if you're going to hang out with them at all, you should be aware that unless you loudly announce your presence before you turn any corner or open any door, you may see things you cannot unsee and hear things you cannot unhear," Kaoru grinned. Megumi gave him a wide-eyed look, and he laughed. "I'm mostly teasing."

"I just didn't think they had that kind of marriage," Megumi said, blushing a bit. "I mean, everyone says they only got married for business purposes."

"Yeah, well, what _everyone _says is usually bullshit, I've found," Kaoru said lightly. "Those two are absolutely mad about each other. Shocked the hell out of us, honestly. Well, maybe not Tamaki, but the rest of us never thought Kyoya had it in him."

"That's nice, though. I'm glad they're happy."

"So the prim schoolteacher is a romantic after all," Kaoru mused.

"I'm not prim," Megumi said, nettled, "and yes, if thinking you should be able to marry who you love makes me a romantic, then I guess I am. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Kaoru said. "Jeez, didn't realize I'd touched a nerve. What, do you have a fiancé waiting in the wings or something?"

"Oh yes, they're lining up to marry the Janitor Princess," Megumi said acidly.

Kaoru looked her over slowly. "They should be," he said in a low voice.

Megumi felt a sudden surge of desire, tightening things low in her body. She was blushing so hard she felt like her cheeks were on fire, but she forced herself not to look away, meeting Kaoru's appraising gaze head-on. _He can't actually mean that. He's just playing, the way they used to back in school._

The patio door opened, and Megumi and Kaoru both jumped a little at the sound, and looked up. Laney was holding the door for Kyoya, who held a heavy tray. Both of them were staring at Megumi and Kaoru.

"Did we interrupt something?" Laney asked.

"Yes. Go away," Kaoru said rudely.

"No, of course you didn't interrupt anything," Megumi glared at Kaoru. "Kaoru's just joking. He couldn't be serious if his life depended on it."

A hurt expression flickered over Kaoru's face so rapidly Megumi wasn't sure she'd actually seen it. He grinned broadly. "You guys are so gullible. Like there'd ever be anything going on between us."

"Megumi, would you like some tea?" Laney asked, quickly changing the subject. "Or I'm having some whiskey, if you'd prefer that."

"Tea would be lovely, thank you," Megumi said, a bit flustered.

Kyoya set the tray down on the table, and Laney poured three cups of tea, handing the first to Megumi.

"Can I have some Jameson instead?" Kaoru asked hopefully.

"No," Laney handed him the tea. "You're driving, and besides, you only get the good stuff when you're being nice. You know the rules." She handed the last cup to her husband, smiling at him as he pulled her chair closer to his before she sat down.

The four of them sat quietly, enjoying the light evening breeze. Laney very softly hummed snatches of a lilting melody. Megumi thought that she wasn't even aware she was doing it. Catching her eye, Laney smiled. "Sorry. Sitting out here with y'all just brings back good memories of sitting out on my grandma's porch."

"I miss that lady," Ootori said wistfully, capturing a lock of his wife's hair and winding it around his finger.

"Me too, baby," Laney almost whispered, her voice suddenly thick with emotion. "God, me too." She leaned her head against her husband's shoulder and continued to hum under breath. Ootori wrapped his arm tightly around her.

_Kaoru's right_, Megumi realized. _They look so natural together._ She felt a sudden longing for the kind of simple comfort Ootori was offering his wife right now. She looked over at Kaoru. He was staring off into the evening shadows, listening to Laney's song. Unguarded, his face looked very young, and almost unbearably handsome. Megumi suddenly felt overwhelmed with tenderness for him. She rembered Laney's words from earlier in the afternoon: _He's got a sweet streak a mile wide_. She found herself wanting to discover that side of Kaoru for herself.

He turned and caught her looking at him. He held her eye for a minute, as if he was asking her a question. But Megumi wasn't sure what he was trying to convey. Finally, he shrugged, saying, "It's getting late. We should start thinking about heading out. Megumi?"

"Yes, I don't want to monopolize your whole night," Megumi said quickly. "Thank you so much for opening your house to us tonight."

"It's still early. Are you sure you have to leave now?" Laney said politely. But Megumi could tell she and Ootori had other things on their mind.

"Kaoru, Hisakawa-san, this was a pleasure. We'll have to do it again soon," Ootori said firmly.

Kaoru laughed. "I can take a hint, Kyoya. We're leaving."

The Ootoris saw them to the door. Just before leaving, Kaoru winked at Megumi, and said "Kyoya, I bet you're as happy as I am that Megumi and Laney are getting along so well. That must take a load off your mind." With that, he turned to leave, catching Megumi's hand and tugging her along with him. Just before the door closed, Megumi caught sight of Laney and Ootori. Neither one looked pleased.

* * *

**Author Note:** Wow. That was a little longer than I usually do, but there was quite a bit I felt like I needed to get in here. This chapter took FOREVER to write, but negotiating it gave me a much better idea for where these characters need to go. This is the last week before summer vacation, so going forward you can probably expect updates around once a week. Getting words onto virtual paper is much more challenging with a seven year old around the house all day. He keeps wanting things like food. :)

Huge thanks to No-Time Lord, GlassytheRosePen, RPG Girl, mutemuia, Lunar678, Guest, and chikarubunny for the reviews on the last two chapters, and to Albereth, Andromeda.143 GlassytheRosePen, JES81, Kagayaku Hoshi-chan, Lunar678, Serenity750, SilverLuna, WonderlandtotheMax, hottieanimegurl, kaylaanime1492901, summerowl,thisgirlinthebackground, twelvethirtyfour, and zrinnamaria for the favorites. Just typing out all those names got me a little overwhelmed. You guys are amazing! To those who expressed concern for me in their reviews, thank you, thank you, thank you. I am fine, or at least getting there. Time heals all wounds, and softens those it cannot heal.


	10. Chapter 10

Megumi managed to contain herself until they were both in the car, then she let loose. "What the hell was that about?" she hissed.

Kaoru glanced over at her. He knew it was a rather offensive cliché, and he would never say so, but he couldn't help thinking it: She was _cute_ when she was angry. Her cheeks bloomed with color, and her eyes snapped. "What was what about?" he replied, feigning innocence.

"Don't pretend to be oblivious," she said. "Why would you make that comment about me and Laney getting along? And what the hell business is it of yours anyway?" When he didn't replay immediately, she got even angrier. "Don't ignore me!"

"I'm not ignoring you," he said easily. "I'm thinking about which question to answer first. Do you have a preference?"

"Oh," Megumi said, deflating a bit.

"Actually, I'll take the second. We're friends, right?"

"I guess," Megumi said grudgingly.

Kaoru clapped one hand over his heart. "So mean!"

"Okay, we're friends. Maybe not close friends, but friends. Happy?"

"Wow. You give Haruhi a run for her money in terms of being blunt, you know that?"

"Kaoru. Stay on point, please."

Kaoru glanced over at her again, gauging her mood. _She gets angry pretty easily, but it blows over quickly. She's probably calm enough to actually listen to me rather than just react._ "So we're friends. And I already told you that Laney and I have become good friends. And you both seem lonely, so I thought maybe you two could be friends."

"We both seem _lonely?"_ Megumi said icily.

Kaoru winced, but kept his eyes on the road. "It wasn't meant as an insult. I just thought you two would hit it off." Megumi didn't reply. _Well, shit. This is over before it even started,_ he thought, not bothering to clarify to himself what _it_ was. _I mean, I thought we were having a moment earlier tonight on the patio, but obviously I just blew it_.

Finally, Megumi looked over at him. "You're right," she said quietly. "I've let myself drift from my school friends. And I do like Laney. I think there is the potential there for a real friendship, rather than just the camaraderie of former classmates. So I guess I should thank you for that."

Kaoru relaxed, relieved at Megumi's sudden thaw. But she wasn't finished. "What I still don't understand is why you said it must be a weight off Ootori's mind."

Kaoru shrugged. "Both of them have mentioned being worried about the other to me. Now they'll have to talk about it to each other."

"Do you ever stop and think, or do words just come out of your mouth?" Megumi asked tartly.

Kaoru's hands tightened on the wheel. He didn't answer at first, concentrating instead on merging onto the freeway. After making his way over to the fast lane, he answered her. "I've actually been sitting on this for about a week and a half. Tonight seemed like a good time to bring it up and force them into a conversation. Even you must have picked up how strained things were between the two of them at the beginning of the evening."

Megumi sighed. "Kaoru, I don't doubt you meant well, but this is their marriage. How can you think it's appropriate for you to be sticking your oar in?"

"Kyoya and Laney got into a really terrible argument a few years ago, right before they got engaged. They broke up for a few days, and Kyoya was devastated. I mean, just _wrecked_," Kaoru said quietly. "He's one of my best friends. Probably my closest friend, outside of Hikaru. I don't want to see him have to go through that ever again."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaoru saw Megumi's face soften. "I think you need to have a little more faith in your friends," she said gently.

"It's not that I don't have faith in them. It's just … ." He shrugged again, unable to fully articulate his thoughts.

"I could tell last week that you were worried about your brother, too. The people in your life are very lucky to have someone who cares so deeply about them. It must hurt you to see them in pain."

Kaoru was surprised. _I thought for sure she'd tell me to butt out, that I can't fix things, that Hika and Kyoya are adults and responsible for their own lives. Like I don't know that! But it doesn't stop me from wanting to fix everything for the people I love._ He looked over at her. _Sweet_ was not a word he'd particularly associated with Megumi; she'd struck him more as _fierce_ and _passionate_. But the words she'd just said were like a salve applied to nerves he hadn't even known were raw.

"You don't know how nice it is to feel like someone else understands that," he sighed. "Everyone usually just tells me to keep out of it."

"Well, you should, you know," Megumi said crisply, effectively popping that bubble. "You can't fix other people, and it's not fair to put that kind of pressure on yourself." Kaoru stiffened, but Megumi went on, her voice turning gentle again. "I think maybe just being there for them when they need someone to talk to might be enough, Kaoru. You're very good at that, I can tell."

"So are you, Megumi," he said. "So are you."

XxXxXxX

"Fucking Kaoru," Kyoya grumbled as the couple collapsed on their living room couch.

"Fucking Kaoru," Laney agreed, then sighed. "I really had other plans for tonight rather than hashing this out."

"We could table it until tomorrow," Kyoya suggested. He tucked a lock of hair behind Laney's ear, allowing his fingers to trail down her neck.

She closed her eyes, smiling at his caress, but then shook her head. "You _know_ I can't."

Kyoya sighed. "You want to go first?"

"Baby, you cannot keep working at this pace. It's not even that I want to spend more time with you, although of course I do. But you just can't keep it up, from a purely physical perspective. This isn't sustainable over the long term. If Kaoru hadn't brought it up tonight, I would have said something in the next week or so. I'm starting to get really worried about you."

"Is this Mrs. Ootori or Doctor Ootori talking to me?"

"Mrs. Ootori says I did not move away from my family and halfway around the world to watch you work yourself into an early grave. No man ever lay on his deathbed and said _I wish I'd spent more time at work and less time with the people who mattered to me most._ I know you think you can handle anything, but you were downright nasty at the beginning of the evening. You're usually much more careful to keep up appearances in front of people you don't know that well. The stress is obviously starting to get to you." Laney took a breath.

"Doctor Ootori says you need a minimum of six hours of sleep every night, no exceptions. And regular meals. You can't start the day off with three cups of coffee and not eat anything until two or three in the afternoon. Kyoya, you _know_ your blood pressure is on the low side even when you're taking decent care of yourself—which you have not been lately. You lost almost ten pounds during the year you were flying back and forth between DC and Tokyo, and you haven't gained any of that weight back since we moved. The way you've been going, you're going to pass out in the middle of your office one of these days." Her voice softened. "Baby, I know you have your sights set on reaching the top, but you are never going to get there if you collapse in the harness. I'm not asking you to stop working hard. I just want you to work a little smarter, please."

"I'm reasonably certain that is the first time anyone has accused me of not working smart," Kyoya said. "I'll be better about eating regularly. I can have my assistant bring in lunch every day, rather than just when I remember to ask her to do so." He thought for a minute. "Five hours of sleep?"

"_Minimum," _Laney conceded. "And when I say every night, I mean _every night._ It is physiologically impossible to bank sleep, so I don't want to hear anymore about how you'll sleep in on the weekends."

He grinned and pulled her into his arms. "Now you're just trying to turn me into a morning person. Not going to happen."

Laney relaxed against her husband's chest. "I could offer some incentives," she said suggestively, raising her head for a kiss. He complied willingly, but she pulled away after only a minute. "Your turn."

Kyoya sighed, tightening his arms around Laney. "I didn't want to bring it up, because I didn't want you to think that I thought you were having trouble adjusting here. Which I don't, by the way. But I love you, so yes, I worry about whether or not you're happy here. I know moving back to Tokyo was a joint decision, but I can't help wondering whether I've asked you to give up everything you love just to be with me."

Laney let her head rest against Kyoya. "Well, I'd be lying if I said everything has been easy for the last few months. But I knew when I married you that we'd be moving back here someday. I'm not so naïve as to have thought that this was going to be a seamless transition. And I didn't move here solely for you, you know. I was actually just telling Megumi this afternoon that even if we hadn't been together, I'm not at all sure I still wouldn't have wound up here. The research Dr. Inouye is doing is exactly what I've wanted to do for the last two years. And you know that. We've talked about that."

"I do. Rationally, I know all that. But I just … Are you _happy_, love?"

Laney straightened up so she could look her husband in the eye. "Baby," she said tenderly. "_yes._ I miss my family, and I want you to work a little bit less, and I really wish I had a few more friends of my own here rather than just piggybacking on to yours, as wonderful as they are. But _yes_. I'm happy. All that stuff is temporary. You and I are making a life together here, and there is nowhere, absolutely nowhere else on earth I would rather be than right here with you." She kissed him.

Kyoya tangled his hands in his wife's hair, his lips blazing a path from her mouth down her throat to her collarbone. For a moment she was supple and boneless in his arms, making small, inarticulate sounds of pleasure. But then she pushed herself away again. Kyoya sighed in frustration. "What?"

"Kaoru," she said.

"Cut him some slack, Laney. He's balancing a lot right now."

"I know he is, but our marriage is not one of the things he should be balancing. You know I love that boy, but I did not appreciate having my hand forced tonight. He can't do this."

"I know." Kyoya ran his hands through his hair. "I'll talk to him. I've been meaning to have a conversation with him anyway."

Laney sighed. "He's been so unhappy lately. I know he's worried about his brother, but I don't understand why he's so consumed by this. Hikaru's a big boy; he can make his own choices and deal with the consequences."

Kyoya shifted. "You have no idea how small their world used to be, love. For years and years, the only people they thought they could rely on were each other. You know their mother pretended she couldn't tell them apart until they were almost 17?"

Laney took a sharp breath. "That is … beyond fucked up, Kyoya."

"Tell me about it. She thought it was funny." He shrugged. "If you ask the twins, they'll swear up and down that it was exactly the kind of joke they love, but I doubt even they know how they actually feel about it."

"Wow." Laney sat up, leaning her head back against the couch. "Wow. So many pieces of that puzzle just fell into place."

Kyoya chuckled darkly. "Sometimes it's kind of nice to remember I'm not the only one with a deeply dysfunctional family."

Laney smiled and stroked his cheek, then subsided into thought. "What do you think we interrupted between those two when we went back outside tonight?" she asked her husband.

"I have no idea. They clearly like each other, and are obviously attracted to one another, but I have my doubts as to whether Kaoru can get out of his own head long enough to do anything about it right now." He stretched, then asked, "What do you think of her?"

"Megumi? Oh, I _like_ her. I like her a lot. She's exactly the type of person Kaoru needs in his life—not as volatile as Hikaru or Jen, but still not willing to put up with any of his bullshit." Laney grinned. "She's a bit prickly, to be sure, but I think underneath that she's intensely loyal and empathetic."

Kyoya groaned. "You're not going to play matchmaker on me, are you?"

She laughed. "No, sweet boy. I'm not Tamaki. But I am looking forward to spending more time with her, and if something develops between those two, I think it could wind up being a very good thing." She stretched, then looked at Kyoya from under lowered lashes. "You know what else is a good thing? Showers. Long, hot, wet showers."

"Now that's an intriguing notion," Kyoya said. Quick as lightning, he reached out and tugged his wife down, rolling on top of her. "But I don't think I can wait that long."

Laney smiled, the slow, dreamy smile Kyoya loved best. "You know what? Me neither."

* * *

**Author Note:** Thanks to mutemuia and GlassytheRosePen for the kind reviews. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Kaoru checked his watch, annoyed. He looked towards the front of the restaurant, craning his neck to see if Kyoya had arrived yet. _He was the one who wanted to meet for lunch, and now he's over 10 minutes late,_ he thought, with a somewhat equal mix of irritation and trepidation. Kyoya prided himself on strict punctuality; if he was late, there was probably a damn good reason. Like perhaps he was still aggravated by what Megumi had termed as "sticking his oar in." _In which case, he's almost definitely going to stick me with the bill. I might as well get an appetizer so I'm not starving by the time he decides to swan on in, _Kaoru decided, studying the menu.

Before he could flag down a server to place his order, Kyoya had arrived. "Sorry I'm late," he said, not sounding particularly sorry in the least. "My meeting ran over. Some people evidently need to learn that discretion is the better part of valor."

"In other words, they weren't doing what you want, and you're going to make them pay for that insolence."

"I wouldn't put it quite like that, Kaoru," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up. "Rather, let's just say that I'm going to do them the enormous favor of demonstrating how their business could be made more efficient."

Kaoru laughed. "Just when I thought I couldn't be any more grateful that you and I occupy entirely different professional spheres."

Kyoya smirked, studying the menu.

"I have to admit, I was surprised when you wanted to meet for lunch. Pleasantly so, but you've been back for almost four months, and this is the first time we've managed to grab a bite together," Kaoru plunged ahead. _Better to get straight to it. Spit it out, Kyoya. _

"Yes, well, the wife's been on my case about eating regular meals. Thanks to you." Kyoya kept his eyes on the menu.

Kaoru grinned. "Well, they say communication is the key to a successful marriage."

Kyoya looked up, his expression serious. "Kaoru, I know you meant well, but you were out of order."

"You two weren't talking to each other. Someone had to do something."

"First of all, you had no way of actually knowing that. We don't tell you everything, you know. And second, just because we don't talk on your schedule doesn't mean you should be interfering. Laney and I are perfectly capable of handling it on our own."

"Yeah, but—"

"No 'buts,' Kaoru. Laney adores you, and I don't find you entirely odious, but you crossed a line. If I need help, I will ask. Until then, do not interfere in my marriage." Kyoya's tone was even, but Kaoru didn't miss the undercurrent of real irritation. Almost as an afterthought, Kyoya added, "Please."

Kaoru sighed, looking down and twisting his napkin. "It's just … Everything is changing. The Boss and Haruhi are having a baby, and Hunny and Reiko probably aren't far behind. Hikaru is always so angry these days. Even Mori spends more time worrying about patents than he does about Huni. And you and Laney—I just didn't want to see you guys get into another huge fight and break up."

"Kaoru," Kyoya took a deep breath and held it for a count of five. "That is not going to happen."

Kaoru didn't look up.

"Not that this is even remotely any of your business-" Kaoru recognized this as Kyoya-speak for _I'm not really comfortable with how personal this conversation is getting, but I can see we need to go there regardless,_ "—but I am actually capable of learning from my mistakes. The circumstances of that particular fight are unlikely in the extreme to replicate themselves, and even if they did, I would handle things very differently. As would Laney. Who, by the way, was actually angrier than I was about your interference this past weekend."

"Shit," Kaoru said. "Did I really piss her off?"

Kyoya shrugged. "I did some damage control on your behalf, but an apology probably wouldn't go amiss."

"Shit," Kaoru repeated. "Sorry."

"I meant an apology to her," Kyoya said drily. The server finally came by, and both men gave their orders. Kyoya waited until she had left before continuing, "She's worried about you, you know."

"Who, me?" Kaoru laughed. "I'm fine."

"Oh, clearly. You're so fine you occupy yourself in trying to manage everyone else's lives so you don't have to deal with yours." Kyoya studied him, and Kaoru shifted, not entirely comfortable under his friend's penetrating gaze. "It's not just Hikaru, is it?"

"Everything's changing," Kaoru repeated, giving in. "Except me. I'm … stagnant. It's like there's something missing," Kaoru admitted. "I've tried talking to Hikaru, but he just keeps insisting that I need to get a girlfriend. Or at least get laid on a more regular basis."

"Is he right?" Kyoya asked neutrally.

"I don't think that's it," Kaoru said, furrowing his brow. "Or at least, not all of it. I mean, who _doesn't_ want to get laid more often? And yes, it would be nice not to go to bed alone every night. But I don't think that's the root of the problem here. There's something missing in _me,_ I think." He sighed. "I don't know how to explain it. I just feel … unfulfilled. Does that make any sense at all?"

"Did this start before or after you met Hisakawa Megumi?"

Kaoru narrowed his eyes. "Before. And why would you ask that?"

"But she seems to have exacerbated things, or am I wrong?" Kyoya pressed.

"You can be really nasty when you're pissed off, you know that?"

"Well, look who suddenly doesn't want his personal life picked over. Turnabout is fair play, Kaoru." Kaoru glared at him, and Kyoya appeared to relent. "I'm not trying to be an asshole here. Believe it or not, I'd actually like to see you happy, and it's glaringly obvious that you haven't been in some time. It's just as obvious that there's something more than a purely professional relationship between you and Hisakawa. I'm wondering how that plays in to the feeling of stagnation you described."

Kaoru sighed. "I don't know. She's attractive—_really _attractive—but I'm such a mess right now. Yes, half the time it's all I can do not to grab her and kiss her, but what would that do to our friendship?"

"Your _friendship,_" Kyoya repeated.

"Yes. It's this bizarre new-fangled relationship where two people spend time together because they enjoy each other's company. Occasionally they even say nice things to each other. You ought to consider giving it a whirl."

Kyoya ignored this outburst and stirred the ice in his water, clearly mulling over their conversation. Finally he said, "I think you should talk to Huni, or Haruhi. I'm sorry, Kaoru, but I'm honestly just not very good at teasing out tangled emotional threads." He thought for a moment more, and added, "What I do know is that if you think you might have feelings for Hisakawa—beyond _friendship_, I mean—you owe it to her to figure all this out before you start thinking about a relationship."

"I agree," Kaoru nodded.

* * *

**Author Note:** Thank you so much to whenthesheepsaysbaa, Izzyboopers, Guest, No-Time Lord, GlassytheRosePen, and mutemuia for the kind reviews. And huge thanks to Sara2o2, Izzyboopers, and Agent-Freelancer-D.C for the favorites. So remember when I said I'd likely update once or twice a week? Yeah, that clearly hasn't happened. But the good news is that my highly adorkable child has two weeks of math camp (which he BEGGED for-is this really my crotchfruit?) so I have three free hours every day to try to get some actual work done on this, rather than just writing scenes in my head while I fold laundry and let the cat in, and out, and in, and out, ad infinitem. Thanks, y'all, for your patience!


	12. Chapter 12

That evening, Kaoru found himself on Huni's doorstep, a box of fancy cupcakes in hand. _Why is it that all I seem to do these days is mooch dinner off my friends? _ At least this time, he'd actually received an invitation rather than just showing up on the spur of the moment. Huni had called him up in the afternoon, and it didn't take much badgering to get him to admit that Kyoya had told him Kaoru could use "a friendly chat, right?" _That smug bastard. For someone who accuses anyone with an interest in his life of not respecting his privacy, he sure is fast to meddle in _my_ affairs._

When he was shown into the living room, Kaoru was more than a little surprised to see three people waiting for him instead of the two he'd expected. "Haruhi! What are you doing here?" he asked as he kissed her cheek.

Haruhi shrugged. "Tamaki and Laney are at a sumo exhibition, and I figured if I hid out here my father can't find me and fuss over me." She rubbed her stomach. "He keeps trying to spoil this kid before it's even born, and it's driving me stark raving mad."

"Also, Kyoya told her that you could use her advice as well as mine," Huni put in, grinning cheekily. Reiko smacked him lightly.

"Yes, thanks Huni. I wasn't exactly going to mention that," Haruhi said, sitting back down. "But as long as that cat is out of the bag, he asked me to pass on a message—_It's not as fun when the shoe is on the other foot._" She looked at him appraisingly. "I take it that means something to you?"

"Yeah, it means Kyoya is a sadistic son of a bitch," Kaoru grumbled, sitting next to Haruhi on the couch.

Reiko tried, rather unsuccessfully, to hide a laugh. Huni didn't even bother to try. "Well, Kao-chan, you have to admit, you _do_ kind of deserve it."

"Deserve what? It's not like he and Laney would even be together now if it wasn't for us. Remember the time he called her a prostitute? Who dug him out of that hole?"

"If it wasn't for me and Haruhi, you mean," Huni answered, a note of steel entering his voice. "And he asked for our help. Neither of us would ever have gotten involved in that fight if he hadn't reached out to us."

"Also, he never called her a prostitute," Reiko put in diffidently. "It was Mitstkuni who made that jump."

"I would never call Laney a prostitute!" Huni protested. "I just said he was going to give her that impression if he wasn't careful."

"Anyway," Haruhi broke in, as Kaoru buried his head in his hands, "we're not here to talk about Kyoya's messes. Are we, Kaoru?"

"Why do we need to talk about anyone's messes?" Kaoru asked plaintively. "Why can't we just eat dinner and talk about why Tamaki and Laney are at a sumo exhibition? Don't you guys think that's weird?"

"Now that you mention it …" Haruhi started thoughtfully.

"No, don't change the subject," Huni interrupted. Kaoru stared at him. Even at almost 32, Huni was still so _cute_ most of the time. It was all too easy to forget that he was at least as stubborn as anyone else in the club. Once he got a bone between his teeth, he didn't let go. And evidently the bone tonight was Kaoru. "Tonight we're working on Kaoru. If you want an intervention for Tama-chan or Laney, you need to schedule it separately."

"An _intervention?"_ Kaoru asked. A headache was starting to lurk in the back of his head.

"Don't be overly dramatic, you two," Reiko said in a soft voice. "Kaoru, of course this isn't an intervention. This is just a few friends getting together over dinner. If you'd like to talk about your problems, we're happy to listen. And honestly, Mitskuni," she said, scolding her husband, "if you're going to do an actual intervention, you need to have everyone here. The rest of the guys, his parents, and maybe a co-worker or two. We need specific crystals to absorb the negativity. You'll have to give me at least a week to get everything in order."

"I do not need an intervention!" Kaoru exploded.

"Oh?" Huni asked. "What do you need, then?"

Kaoru massaged his temples, trying to figure out what to say to that. _Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it? What do I want? _Finally, he looked back at Huni. "Honestly? I don't know. And I think that's the problem."

"Okay." Haruhi said crisply. "Let's look at this objectively. What would you say are the major areas of your life right now?"

"Where I'm having problems?"

"Not necessarily. First let's just look at what is going on. Before we start worrying about how to fix anything, let's just try to get a handle on the big picture."

Kaoru felt a rush of gratitude for that _we._ He smiled quickly at Haruhi, then furrowed his brow, thinking. "Work, obviously. Friendship. Family. That's about it." He looked around. "That doesn't seem like much, does it?"

Huni started to open his mouth, but Reiko beat him to the punch. "What about art?"

"That's included in work," Kaoru answered quickly.

"Hmmm," Reiko exchanged a quick glance with her husband. "And Megumi and her class?"

Kaoru found himself smiling at the thought of her, but the smile faded as he tried to classify where Megumi fit in. _Friendship? There's not really any other place for her, right now. _

Seeing his consternation, Haruhi put a hand on his arm. "Not everything needs to fit into one little box, Kaoru. Forget about Megumi for a second. What about teaching in her class?"

"I love it," he admitted, not even having to think about it. "It's honestly the most fun I've had in a couple years. I don't know if its talking to Megumi, or just being able to talk about art without the pressure of the next show or the next line, or working with the kids, or what. But I really, really love it."

"You've been taking over the more and more of the artistic vision and design work at Hitachiin Industries, while Hikaru has been dealing with most of the travel, right?" Haruhi asked.

Kaoru flushed. "It's not Hika's fault. He's not slacking off."

"No one said that, Kaoru," Reiko said gently.

"No one except you," Haruhi pointed out. Kaoru remained silent. "Okay, let's move on. If there's trouble between you and Hikaru, I don't think it's particularly productive for us to get in the middle of it. Just remember—he can't read your mind, Kaoru. If you need something from him, you need to tell him. I know you don't want to add stress to his life, but think about how he's going to feel if you hide your feelings from him."

Kaoru stood up, pacing around the room. _She's right. She's absolutely right. I _am _mad at Hikaru. I didn't even realize it until Haruhi pointed it out. But it's not fair that he's picking and choosing exactly what he wants to work on, and I have to deal with the rest. He probably doesn't even know he's doing it, but it's not fair and it's been making my life hell. I keep thinking I can't do anything I want because I never have the time, but I've been ignoring the fact that he picks up and goes off to New York whenever Jen crooks her little finger._ He flushed darker, the mere thought of Jen bringing out a rage he hadn't been aware he'd harbored.

The other three occupants of the room watched him silently, giving him the time and space to work through these new revelations in his head. After another minute of pacing, he pulled out his phone and texted Hikaru.

-_We need to talk._

The answer was almost immediate. -_What's wrong? R U OK?_

_-I'm fine, nothing's wrong. Don't worry._

_-Then Y the cryptic text? What's wrong, rlly?_

_-OK, maybe I'm not fine. But it will keep until you're back in Japan. We just need to talk face to face._

_-Ur rlly worrying me, Kao. OMG, u don't have cancer, do u?_

_-Don't be an idiot. I've just been doing some thinking, and I need to talk to you._

There was a long pause. –_Is this about Jen?_

_-OMG, Hika, not everything is about you and your fucking girlfriend. No, this is about ME._

Another long pause. –_Shit. I'm sorry. You're right, and I'm sorry. Look, I have one more meeting here, and then I'm flying out first thing tomorrow. My tomorrow, not yours. I'm coming straight to your apartment, ok? Whatever you're going through, we'll figure it out together. I love you._

_-Sounds good. And thanks, Hikaru. Love you too._

"Okay," Kaoru said, putting his phone back in his pocket. He felt lighter already. "Okay," he repeated "Hikaru and I are going to talk when he gets back from New York."

"Good job, Kaoru!" Huni enthused. "Now what about you and Megu-chan?"

Kaoru shook his head. "No, I'm not ready for that one yet. Kyoya said I needed to figure my life out before trying to figure out if she could fit into it." Haruhi, Huni, and Reiko just stared at him. "What?" he said defensively. "That makes perfect sense."

Haruhi sighed. "Okay, let me get this straight. You're going to take relationship advice from Kyoya. From _our _Kyoya. Not some other mysterious Kyoya you've been keeping in your back pocket. Is that right?"

"Kyo-chan's a genius, but he's shit at navigating interpersonal relationships," Huni said cheerfully. Not for the first time, Kaoru marveled at how the slight man could manage to say something so vicious in such a sweet manner. "He always has been."

"He's seriously the last of us I'd ever think of taking romantic advice from," Haruhi added. "Remember when Laney flew in and he was too busy talking to his father to pick her up from the airport? I've always been amazed she didn't just turn around and fly home, to be honest."

"Yeah, but that's what he meant. He needed to get himself figured out first before he could fix things with Laney." Kaoru looked around at his married friends. "That's how it works, right?"

"Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru," Haruhi sighed, shaking her head. "Do you honestly think Tamaki had _anything_ figured out when I started dating him?"

"Well, he knew he what he wanted to do inside the Suoh Corporation."

"That's true," Haruhi admitted. "And I guess to a certain degree, I understand what Kyoya's saying. I don't disagree that you need to be a complete person, in and of yourself, if you want to have a truly successful relationship."

"But you don't need to figure that out on your own," Reiko broke in. "Remember when Mitskuni and I first started dating? I was so shy I could barely talk to anyone outside the black magic club. And quite frankly, if Huni had waited until I'd overcome that completely, we might never have gotten together."

Huni reached over and took his wife's hand. "Even after you figure out whatever's bothering you right now, Kaoru, you're still going to grow and change as a person. Marriage isn't about finding someone who's already perfect; it's about finding someone you can grow with. Finding someone who will help you to become the best version of yourself." He smiled fondly at his wife. "It's a lot more fun that way, too!"

Kaoru must have looked as dazed as he felt, because Haruhi took pity on him. "We're not saying you should run out and confess your feelings to Megumi right now, Kaoru. We're just saying that allowing yourself the space to figure out where you want to go with her is something that should probably go hand in hand with figuring out everything else you're dealing with. We've been talking about different parts of your life—your work, your teaching, Megumi, Hikaru—but it's not so neat in the real world. It's all connected. Fixing one part might help clear up the other parts as well. Just let yourself be open to what happens, rather than closing yourself off to opportunity."

"That sounds like it's easier said than done," Kaoru grumbled. But still—he felt considerably easier in his mind than when he'd first walked in. He still didn't feel like he knew exactly what was causing this sense of dissatisfaction, but at least now he had a couple areas to explore. _I think talking—really talking—with Hikaru is going to help put everything in perspective._

"So that's enough serious talk, right?" Huni said brightly, bounding to his feet. "Now let's have some cake, and try to figure out why Tama and Laney like sumo so much."

"We're going to have some actual dinner before the cake, right?" Kaoru whispered to Haruhi as they followed Huni and Reiko out of the room.

"It's Huni and Reiko," she whispered back. "Who knows?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much to Dreamingmydaysaway for the favorite, and to Izzyboopers, No-Time Lord, and mutemuia for the reviews! And thanks so much to everyone who has followed this story! I realized as I wrote this that this particular chapter contains a ton of references to my earlier story, You Know the Night. If you haven't read it, and don't want to slog through the whole thing, the pertinent chapters are 9 and 10 (for the time Kyoya asked Huni and Haruhi for advice) and 30 and 31. Or, if you want to know the background without reading more, just PM me and I'll shoot you the dirty deets. :)

The sumo reference here is a nod to the fact that the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament is coming up (this weekend!) and I FINALLY have someone who will watch it with me-the kid. :) This will be the first time I'm able to watch a basho in something approximating real time, and I have no one to dork out with over this (aside from the kid, who doesn't really care much about rankings and grips), so if you are also a sumo fan, please feel free to PM me.


	13. Chapter 13

"You're going to kill me. You're seriously going to kill me, because I'm the worst brother ever," Hikaru's distressed voice came through the phone.

Kaoru sighed and reached behind him, trying to rub some of tension out of his neck. "What now?" he asked.

"My flight got cancelled. _Technical difficulties_, they said. I guess the pilot's inability to pull his thumb out of his own ass because he's too drunk to figure out the difference between _in_ and _out_ is now considered a technical difficulty. And they can't get me on another flight until tomorrow night. Then they offered me a $500 travel voucher to make up for it. $500? What am I supposed to do with that? It's insulting, Kaoru."

"Calm down, Hikaru. Mom has the private jet in Milan—it can pick you up in a few hours, right?"

"Already called her. Mom needs it to take some clients to Ibiza. She just _laughed_ at me and told me to go enjoy my impromptu vacation," Hikaru grumbled. "Want a souvenir? I can bring back a two-foot model of the Statue of Liberty. I'll use my travel voucher to buy half a seat for it."

Kaoru shuddered. "If you love me at all, even a little bit, you won't bring me back a two-foot model of anything."

"You sound stressed."

"I am stressed."

"Spill it, Kao. I know you said you wanted to talk face to face, but something's eating at you."

"It can keep." Kaoru said shortly.

"No, it can't." Hikaru made a frustrated noise. "Look, I don't want to force you to talk if you're not ready. But you sound like you're about to blow. Can you at least vent a little steam to relieve some of the pressure, and then we can deal with the rest when I get back home?"

"I need you to start pulling more weight around the office," Kaoru said in a rush, closing his eyes. _Here it comes._ Much to his surprise, his comment was greeted with silence. "Hikaru? Are you still there?"

"Hold on. I'm giving myself two minutes before I respond to that," Hikaru said. Kaoru winced. It was pretty obvious from the tone of his voice that his twin was hurt and angry. The fact that he was resorting to their old technique for teaching Hikaru how to control his temper told Kaoru exactly how bad a mistake he'd just made. _Wait a second. I didn't make a mistake. Just because Hikaru doesn't want to hear something doesn't mean I shouldn't say it. _Kaoru watched the seconds tick off on his clock as well, trying to rein in his own temper.

"Okay." Hikaru said finally. "What exactly do you need me to do? And I need specifics, because from where I'm standing my schedule is pretty goddamn full already."

"We need a more equal distribution of work, maybe. Because right now it feels like you're working on whatever the hell you want, and doing all the travel, and I'm stuck here in the office every single day, putting out all the fires. And coming up with all the ideas."

Another long silence. "You want to do more of the travelling?"

"I just want to feel like the whole damn thing isn't resting on my back."

"You know some of that's in your head, Kaoru. I'm not trying to diminish the amount of work you put in, or how critical you are to operations. But part of the reason why you're putting out all the fires is because you always assume you're the only one who can."

"I shouldn't be the only one who's catching them!" Kaoru's voice started to rise.

"Well, I thought that was your job! How the hell was I supposed to know it was bothering you? I thought you _liked_ it!" Hikaru yelled back.

"Well, I _don't_ like it." Kaoru said quietly.

"You're better at it than I am, Kao." Hikaru's voice was calmer, responding to his twin's change in demeanor. "You're much better at it. You were always the analytical one, the one who sees problems before they develop. But I never intended for you to go ahead and deal with them all on your own. Next time, pass it on to me."

"Can you handle it?"

"See, that's what I mean! That attitude right there is exactly why I don't bother to deal with any of those fires. You give the very strong impression that you'd rather do everything yourself. You can rely on me, little brother. I don't know when you forgot that. I'm not as stupid as you look."

Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle at their old joke. "All right," he relented. "Next fire that comes up, you get to put out all on your own."

"Can't wait," Hikaru deadpanned. "When I get back, you and I are going to lock ourselves in your office—or my office, doesn't matter—and go through every last ball we have in the air right now. You tell me what you don't want to deal with, and we can figure it out from there, okay? I can't promise I can take over all of it, and we may need to do some shifting around, but you shouldn't be feeling like you're alone in keeping the show running. We can fix that."

Kaoru let out a long breath. "That sounds … indescribably wonderful, Hikaru."

"Don't get too excited. It's not like I'm bringing in strippers or anything," Hikaru laughed. "Anything else you need to get off your chest?"

"No, that was the big one," Kaoru said. "I still want to talk to you, but I think the rest of it is more sounding-board stuff."

"We're good, yeah? You need to let me know if we're not, Kao."

"We're good," Kaoru assured his brother. "How's Jen?"

"Jen is Jen," Hikaru said, but Kaoru could tell from his voice that he was grinning. "But I'm not concerned about her right now. I'm concerned about you, okay?"

"Things must be going pretty well with her, then."

"Kaoru. Jen's a pain in my ass, albeit a thoroughly delightful one, and she probably will be forever, at least in some capacity. But you're my twin. You're not second to her, and I'm sorry if I've been acting that way."

"All right, first of all, I need to never again hear about Jen and your ass, because I now have a mental image that even bleach can't erase. Perv. And also, I know I don't come second with you."

"Yeah, but it's still nice to hear me say it, right?" Hikaru chuckled. "And as for the other? The things I could tell you, but won't, because I'm a gentleman."

"Stop boasting."

"It's not a boast if it's true."

"I'm hanging up now, before I need to puncture my own eardrums."

"And you call me a pervert? You are into some seriously fucked-up shit if that's what gets you off, little brother."

Kaoru groaned. "Goodbye, Hikaru."

"Kaoru." His twin's voice had grown serious again. "I don't care what time it is, and I don't care what you might be interrupting. If you need to talk, you call me, okay?"

Kaoru's throat suddenly felt tight. "Thanks, Hika. I will."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much to mutemuia for the review, and to bmg20 for the favorite. I feel like the last chapters have been really dialogue heavy, and haven't done much to advance the plot. Things are definitely going to get moving again in the next chapter, but if you wouldn't mind dropping a review to let me know if these last few chapters have worked for you or have been boring, I'd appreciate it. Reader feedback is enormously helpful in determining what actually works in a story vs what I think is working. Thanks so much!


	14. Chapter 14

Megumi stared at the contents of her refrigerator, chewing her lower lip in consternation. After four days of almost complete radio silence, Kaoru had suddenly called her out of the blue. "I'm bored. Let's have dinner," he'd said without preamble.

"I can't tonight," Megumi had replied. "I have grading to do."

"Oh come on," he'd cajoled. "I'll take you out someplace super fancy. Or someplace super boring. Whatever you're in the mood for."

"I'm in the mood to grade these pop quizzes," Megumi said. Silence met that comment; she could just imagine his expression. "Okay, maybe I'm not in the _mood_ to grade them, but it still has to get done."

"I guess I can just eat something here in my office," he'd said. "It's no big deal. I think there's a frozen pizza in the staff kitchen I can throw into the microwave. It'll probably come out soggy, but I'm used to that." He paused hopefully.

"Oh, all right," Megumi gave in. "You can come over here."

Kaoru gave a laugh that surely wasn't as smug as it sounded over the phone. "Don't worry. I'll cook dinner so you can do your grading. See you in 30."

"Wait, Kaoru—" But he'd already hung up. "I haven't gone grocery shopping in a week," Megumi had finished lamely into the dead line.

So now she was staring into the empty void of her fridge, which contained eggs, a few limp vegetables, some leftover chicken, and a very questionable half-quart of milk. She pulled the later out, sniffing it cautiously. _Well, it smells fine, even if it is a day or so past its expiration date_. She put it back, closing the door. _How did I let him talk me into this? He didn't even have to try all that hard._

An almost involuntary smile crossed Megumi's lips at the thought of Kaoru bursting into her apartment and cooking dinner. She hadn't heard anything from him since they'd had dinner over with the Ootoris on Saturday. _We had that weird moment on the patio, and then that talk in the car. And then, nothing. Just a smiley emoticon whenever I texted him._ Which she'd done a few times. He'd seemed troubled on the drive back to her apartment, despite his attempt at hiding it, and she'd been worried about him in spite of herself. _I've been back in touch with him for what, three weeks? And I've gone from thinking he's an asshole to worrying about his sense of personal fulfillment? What in the _hell_ is wrong with me?_ "It's just because he's good-looking, and charming, and I haven't a date in … in longer than I want to admit, even to myself," Megumi grumbled aloud, then jumped as someone knocked loudly at her door. _Please, please, please tell me he didn't hear that through the door._

While she stood pondering the likelihood of her voice carrying that far, Kaoru called through the door. "Megumi! Please, my arms are getting tired!" Shaking her head, Megumi crossed her small apartment to open the door, only to find Kaoru balancing an overfull bag of groceries in one arm, the other hand raised to knock again.

"You know I don't usually wait right by the door when people invite themselves over, don't you?" Megumi said for a greeting.

"Patience isn't exactly my strong suit," Kaoru responded, squeezing by her. "Where's your kitchen?"

"Straight ahead," Megumi said, following him as he crossed her small living room and dumped the bag on the counter. "What _is_ your strong suit?"

"My amazing good looks, obviously." Kaoru tossed back, unloading the groceries. Before he'd finished, his eye was caught by a cloth-covered canvas in the living room, right by the windows. "May I?" he asked, already walking over to the corner.

Megumi stifled a sigh. She wasn't quite finished with the painting, but she knew Kaoru well enough by now to know that it would be more trouble putting him off than just getting it over with. Besides, she found herself more than a little curious to hear his thoughts on this particular piece, an abstract study of chrysanthemum blossoms. "Go ahead," she said, unloading the rest of the groceries. After finishing, she came to stand next to Kaoru.

He took his time studying the canvas, not speaking. Megumi didn't interrupt, although her palms were starting to sweat. _Well, of course I'm nervous. This is _Hitachiin Kaoru_, one of the most important up-and-coming artists in the country, even if his medium is fashion._ He stepped back several paces, then forward again. Finally, he spoke. "Your eye for color is absolutely perfect, you know. I haven't seen many professionals who can match it. Do you mix your own paints?" Megumi nodded, feeling slightly heady at the praise. "I thought so. It's hard to get that kind of vibrancy any other way.

"But here." He gestured at the upper right quadrant of the canvas. "Look at it and tell me what you think."

Megumi stepped back to get a wider perspective. "The balance is off, isn't it?"

"What would you change?" Kaoru asked, still looking at the painting.

Megumi grabbed a pencil and stepped closer to the canvas. "Make this blossom bigger," she sketched out a wider circle around the blossom in question, "and then put a smaller one right here." She looked at Kaoru for approval.

He smiled at her changes, but stayed silent. Megumi stepped back, looking again. Then she saw it. She erased the small blossom she'd added, and instead drew a slender maple branch, with a few leaves drifting down to nestle among the blossoms.

"Now it's perfect," Kaoru said, and Megumi couldn't help but feel a thrill of pride at his words.

"You're a good teacher, you know," she said, glancing back over her shoulder at him.

"Am I?" Kaoru asked.

Megumi turned and swatted him lightly. "Your ego doesn't need any more feeding, so stop it."

"No, I mean it. Do you actually think that, or are you just being polite?" There was something in the tone of his voice that made her stop and consider the question seriously.

"Yes, I think you're a very good teacher. You're incredibly charismatic, and students respond to the obvious passion you have for art. Also, you have a real knack for not so much pointing out a mistake as helping other people see it for themselves. " Megumi said, watching him closely. His body betrayed a tension she was didn't usually associate with the usually carefree Kaoru. "Why do ask? Are you thinking of teaching?"

"Not seriously, I guess." Kaoru sighed. "It's probably just a pipe dream. I'd love it, but balancing two careers is a little much, even for me. And I don't want to stop designing and working with Hikaru."

"Kaoru." Megumi put her hands on his shoulders, turning him to face her instead of the painting. "Any university in Japan would be happy to offer you an adjunct position, you know. And I don't know about other high schools, but I'd be shocked if you couldn't set up something part time with Ouran, coming in once a month, or every other week. Nothing says you need to teach full-time."

"Really?" His eyes lit up, and Megumi felt herself start to melt. _Damn it. Why does he have to be so adorable?_

"Yes, really," she confirmed, smiling.

He kissed her chastely on the forehead. "Why is it that you always seem to know exactly the right thing to say? You're amazing, Megumi." He gave her that devilish Hitachiin grin. "I'll start dinner. You go grade."

Megumi sorted the stack of papers on the low table in her living room, grabbing the answer key out of her bag. As she settled in to grade the quizzes, she heard Kaoru moving about in the kitchen behind her, chopping vegetables. A sense of deep contentment stole over her at the simple domesticity. _This is …nice,_ she thought with some surprise. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" she called, starting up a new pile of graded papers.

"I'm sure. Besides, your kitchen is way too small for both of us to be in here," Kaoru called back. Seeming to immediately realize how that would sound, he babbled on. "Cozy, I mean. It's way too cozy. But it's really, um, efficient. It's a great kitchen."

Megumi laughed. "It's okay, Kaoru. I know it's small." She graded another quiz, marking off wrong answers with quick strokes of her pen. She wouldn't say she _enjoyed_ grading pop quizzes, but there was something soothing about the repetitive activity. She felt the stress of the day slipping away as her to-be-graded pile got smaller, and wonderful aromas started to waft out of the kitchen. _I could get used to this._ Megumi finished the last quiz, stacking the papers neatly on the low table in front of her. She rose, stretching out her shoulders, and joined Kaoru in the kitchen.

"Perfect timing," he said, sliding a second rice omelet out of the pan. Megumi got two beers out of the refrigerator as Kaoru carried their plates over to the table.

Megumi took a hesitant bite of her omelet, but it turned out her worries were entirely misplaced. "Kaoru, this is delicious!"

"I told you I could cook, didn't I?"

"You did, but …" Megumi trailed off lamely.

"Your expectations were that low, huh?" Kaoru asked as he took a bite.

Megumi gave what she hoped was a disarming smile. "I'm sure you're used to exceeding expectations."

"Mmmm." He did not look impressed with this line of reasoning.

"So why did you call me up tonight?" she asked, hoping a change in subject would dispel the sudden tension. "Laney told me you usually drop by their place for dinner."

"Sometimes I get tired of being the third wheel," Kaoru shrugged. "Hikaru is still in New York, and I think Mori has a date tonight."

"So I was your last choice?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that, exactly. I could have called up Mei, but she would have wanted to go clubbing, or do karaoke, or something crazy. I didn't want a headache."

"So, what, now I'm supposed to be flattered because I wasn't_ quite_ your last choice?" Any lingering aura of cozy domesticity fled in the face of this little revelation. "This is exactly why we were never friends in school."

"Oh, like any of you girls ever cared what I thought back then," he said flippantly.

"Excuse me? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? I saw how you rejected all those poor girls. You guys laughed at them!" Megumi was starting to get heated.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Kaoru's tone was venomous.

"Oh? Enlighten me."

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah, Kaoru. I really want to know."

"We might have been nasty, but those girls were bitches. Every last one of them." Kaoru was twisting the paper napkin, tearing it into small strips.

"Oh yes, such heartless bitches," Megumi said sarcastically. "Why on earth would anyone get upset when they found out their crush had switched places with his twin?"

"They weren't upset about that."

"That's bullshit. I was waiting for Iseda Chiyo when she made her confession to Hikaru. I saw her come running out from that hallway in tears. How can you say she wasn't upset?"

"She didn't get upset when she found out Hikaru and I had switched places. That came later, after we told her that she was a terrible person for not caring which one of us she was with."

Megumi's mouth had dropped open. "No."

"Oh yes."

"You're joking, right?"

Kaoru just looked at her, fingers continuing to twist the torn pieces of napkin around.

"Kaoru, that is _horrible._ I had no idea."

Slightly mollified, he said "In the interest of complete disclosure, we usually did tack on something about the girl being too ugly for us, or not having enough fashion sense, or something else equally as vicious. So it's not like we were completely blameless."

"God, who could blame you?" Megumi said. Then, as her inner teacher reasserted itself, "I mean, it's never right to treat people cruelly. But you were pretty well provoked." She pushed the last bite of omelet around on her plate. "All of them? Every single last one?"

"Oh, there were a couple here and there who apologized when I pretended to be Hikaru, saying that they were only interested in Kaoru. But since they couldn't tell us apart, I had some trouble taking them seriously."

Megumi thought about this for a minute. "Kaoru, did you ever think that if you two wanted to be told apart so badly, maybe you could have taken some trouble to look even the slightest bit less identical?"

"Yeah, that did occur to us. Round about the time that Hikaru dyed his hair."

"Oh. That's right."

"Look, Megumi, I can't deny we grew up pretty twisted. But it didn't happen in a vacuum, either, and to be honest, I'm pretty much done with the blame game. We were nasty, they were bitches, done is done."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"No, I mean—_I'm sorry,_ Kaoru." Megumi covered his hand with hers. "I've been coming to the conclusion that I was something of a judgmental bitch back then, and I'm sorry. I should have been nicer to you."

"Well, you're being nice now. I'll take what I can get." Kaoru flipped his hand palm up, and interlaced his fingers with hers. His smile had returned, but Megumi recognized the vulnerability in it.

She smiled back at him, trying to inject some lightness into the conversation. "You don't honestly expect me to believe you're that hard up?"

"Oh, the ladies are lining up for a chance at Hitachiin Kaoru."

"Then what are you doing here with me?" she teased.

"It's where I want to be," he said simply. Megumi started to free her hand, intending to collect the dishes, but he tightened his grip. "That's why I called you tonight. I just wanted to see you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Huge thanks to mutemuia, No-Time Lord, and chikarubunny for the reviews, and soinherownhead for the favorite. You guys rock!


	15. Chapter 15

Next Saturday, Megumi found herself ringing the Ootoris' doorbell at 8:30 in the morning. During their conversation over lunch last week, Laney had revealed that she was an avid hiker, and she'd managed to convince Megumi to accompany her on a short hike. When she'd told Kaoru about her plans over the phone last night, he'd laughed at her.

"You're going over to that house before 11 am? Hope you're ready for the Demon Lord," he'd said. "Kyoya is the polar opposite of a morning person."

"Well, I'm not going there to see Ootori, am I?" Megumi had replied somewhat testily. "He'll probably still be asleep, if that's the case."

"Um. Yeah. Probably," Kaoru had said, his voice sounding slightly strained. He hurriedly changed the subject.

Now Megumi stood on the doorstep, waiting for what seemed to be an interminable amount of time for someone to answer to the door. Finally, it swung open, revealing Ootori. Megumi stared, a little surprised. He wearing jeans and a faded blue t-shirt that said "HOYAS," and he had a large mug of coffee in his hand and a murderous expression on his face. He didn't even look like he'd combed his hair. "You might as well come on in," he said, sounding profoundly disinterested. "Laney's still in the shower. She was … unavoidably detained earlier." He turned and walked back into the house, clearly expecting her to follow him.

_Well, that's a bit rude, _Megumi thought. She trailed after him into the kitchen. He got down another large mug and handed it to her.

"Coffee's fresh. There are some rolls on the counter if you're hungry." He sat down at the large wooden table and closed his eyes, both hands wrapped tightly around his coffee.

"Um. Thanks?" Megumi looked at the oversized American mug. "Do you have a smaller cup?"

Ootori sighed. "Just don't fill it all the way up. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out."

Megumi wasn't often intimidated, but then again, she rarely spent time with people who were so clearly disinterested in anything resembling polite conversation. She tried again. "I couldn't help but notice your shirt. What does it mean?"

"Hoya?" He opened his eyes and glanced down at his shirt. "_What."_

"I'm sorry?" Megumi was thoroughly confused.

"It's Greek. It means _what._"

"Oh," Megumi said faintly. _Okay. I get what Kaoru meant._

Ootori took pity on her. "It's the team nickname for Georgetown University, in D.C. Just _why _that is the team nickname when the mascot is a bulldog was never fully explained to my satisfaction."

"You went to college there?"

"Graduate school. I got my doctorate in applied economics there, and Laney got both her M.D. and her Ph.D. there. To be honest, I still consider Harvard to be my alma mater, but to keep the peace, I'm willing to wear a Hoya shirt every once a while."

"You both have Ph.D.s?" Megumi asked, impressed.

"Piled Higher and Deeper," Laney said cheerfully, coming into the kitchen. Ootori winced at her bright tone, but she ignored him and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Baby," he yawned, "what's the deal with _hoya_ again?"

"_Hoya saxa!_ What rocks! It refers to the abnormally large testicles that all male Georgetown students are known to possess." Upon noticing her husband's baleful stare, she relented. "Back in the day, the teams used to be the Stonewalls, and some smartass decided to mix Greek and Latin to make up the cheer _Hoya saxa_. It caught on." She shrugged. "They didn't have YouTube, so I guess they had to make their own entertainment. Honestly, Kyoya, I'm pretty shocked you couldn't remember that."

"I don't bother committing such useless trivia to memory," Ootori said a bit coldly.

"Megumi, you'll have to excuse Kyoya's rudeness. He's not exactly what you'd call a morning person," Laney explained, draping herself over her husband's shoulders and kissing him fondly on the cheek.

"It's 8:30 am, I'm awake and dressed. Those were the terms of the agreement. If you want me to be sociable, you are going to have to sweeten the pot. Considerably."

Laney grinned over at Megumi. "We're fixing Kyoya's sleep hygiene."

"_We _are not doing anything, Laney. _I_ am acquiescing to _your_ entirely needless and, quite frankly, barbaric insistence that I attempt to better synchronize my weekday and weekend sleep cycles, but only—_only_, mind you—because the thought of your incessant nagging is even more horrific than waking up at 8 am. Which is saying something." Ootori's voice was acidic.

"You are being more than adequately compensated," Laney said, kissing his cheek again. She started to straighten up, but Ootori twisted around in his chair, pulling her smoothly back down and into a more lingering kiss.

"_Somewhat_ adequately compensated," he remarked in a slightly more pleasant tone, allowing his wife to stand upright again.

"Don't be rude."

"He was very polite. He offered me coffee," Megumi said. Ootori and Laney both looked at her. "Well, he gave me a mug." she amended. Laney chuckled.

"Smooth," Ootori commented, but he shot Megumi a smile with something approaching genuine warmth.

Laney pulled two water bottles from the fridge, slinging them into a small backpack that had been next to the table. "Do you need any water, Megumi?"

"No, I packed some. But thanks."

"Okay, then I'm ready to head out."

Ootori accompanied them to the door. "Try not to fall down. It would be a shame if you got a concussion before finishing this project of yours," he told his wife.

"I'll do my best," Laney smiled up at him. "Do _not_ go back to sleep."

"I'll do my best," he mimicked, giving her a quick kiss.

"Love you."

"Love you, too. Have fun, ladies," Ootori said before he closed the door.

"He's … he's not like that all the time, is he?" Megumi asked nervously as they got into her car. She liked Laney an awful lot, but wasn't sure she was up to dealing with her husband if that's what Ootori's true colors looked like.

Laney laughed. "No, that was particularly bad. He's still adjusting to the idea that he shouldn't sleep in on the weekends." She shot Megumi a swift glance. "You can thank Kaoru for that."

"I'm pretty sure Kaoru doesn't bear any responsibility for Ootori-san's sleeping habits, despite his misguided attempt at relationship counseling."

"Mmm. Maybe you're right." Laney waited until they'd got on the road before continuing, "So what's going on with you two?"

"Nothing!" Megumi blushed.

"Really?"

"Really. Nothing." She couldn't quite keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Okay, spill it," Laney said, turning the music down.

Megumi hesitated. Laney was Kaoru's friend, the wife of his _best_ friend. She wasn't entirely sure she was the right person to confide in.

Laney picked up on her conflict. "Megumi, whatever you tell me stays in this car. You don't have to worry that I'm going to tell Kaoru, or even Kyoya."

"He came over for dinner the other night, and we talked for a bit. I thought … oh, I don't know what I thought. But talking is literally all we did." She sighed. "He told me about what it was like when girls used to confess to him and his brother back in middle school. I never really realized how difficult certain parts of his life must have been."

"Kyoya's told me a bit about how they grew up, and I agree with you on that one. And I think Kaoru's going through some kind of quarter-life crisis right now."

"He told me he's thinking about teaching. I encouraged him to look into adjunct positions."

"That's great!" Laney beamed.

"It is," Megumi agreed. "He was really opening up, but it didn't _go_ anywhere, you know? We've been talking on the phone every night since, but it's mostly just surface level." She hesitated again. "How well do you know him? I mean, he … he's had a girlfriend before, right?"

Laney sobered. "He's capable of a functional relationship, if that's what you're asking. Certainly more so than his brother. If you want more details, you need to talk to him. Sorry, Megumi, but I need to respect his privacy."

"Of course. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Laney studied her for a moment. "He likes you, you know."

"As a friend, sure."

"Has he been flirting with you?"

"Not really."

Laney smiled. "There you go. Kaoru is an absolutely relentless flirt. If he's treating you differently …"

"What, is he in fourth grade? You're saying the reason he's been acting almost totally platonic toward me is because his intentions are the opposite?" Megumi huffed.

"I think he's trying to lay down a foundation of friendship, first," Laney responded seriously. "As best I can tell, Kaoru's very cautious, despite the happy-go-lucky demeanor. He's very wary of letting other people in."

"Friendship first. Huh." Megumi thought about that. "Was that how it was for you and Ootori?"

Laney threw back her head, laughing. "Lord have mercy, _no._ No, friendship definitely came later. But I don't think Kyoya and I are quite typical. Look at Haruhi and Tamaki, or Huni and Reiko. They were all friends for at least a year before getting into a romantic relationship. Hell, my best friend, Jen, and-" she stopped short.

"And Hikaru?" Megumi guessed.

"No. Definitely not Hikaru." Laney shook her head, sighing. "No, Jen was engaged, but her fiancé died. He had a relatively minor shoulder surgery, but threw a clot. It was … a shock."

"I'm so sorry," Megumi said. Laney just nodded, looking out the window. "You said you and Ootori weren't friends at first?" she said, trying to change the subject.

Laney gave her a small smile. "We got engaged about two and half months after we first met. _Friendship_ wasn't really a huge part of the equation."

"It's nice when an arranged marriage works out like that. It did for my sister as well."

"Oh, it wasn't an arranged marriage. I mean, our fathers did introduce us, but … well, let's just say that they did not factor into the mix at _all_ after about a month." She sighed, clearly in satisfaction. "I didn't mean to give the impression that we didn't _like_ each other. But we kind of skipped over the friendship part and went straight to mutual fascination." Laney smiled, more broadly this time. "It didn't seem like it at the time, but looking back on it, we fell for each other so fast and so hard it would make your head spin."

"Really?" Megumi was a little doubtful. From what she knew of Ootori, both back at Ouran and through the high society gossip network, he did not seem at all the type to lose his head like what Laney was describing.

Laney seemed to guess what she was thinking. "Don't let him fool you. Kyoya's got layers."

"I'm sure he does," Megumi responded automatically. Suddenly, Kaoru didn't look like that hard of a nut to crack after all. Which reminded her—"Kaoru said he wanted to take us out to lunch after we finish our hike."

"Of course he does," Laney said, with the merest trace of irritation.

"Are you still upset with him over his actions last week?"

"Not really, I guess. I know he had good intentions. But he could definitely benefit from a more profound understanding of what is and isn't his business."

"He has a big heart," Megumi defended.

Again, Laney gave her a sharp glance. Suddenly, her phone buzzed, and she checked her incoming text. "Kyoya," she chuckled.

"Everything all right?"

_"Drop it, Miss Woodhouse," _she read aloud.

"What does that mean?"

"It means my boy is as perceptive at 8:30 am as he is at 8:30 pm," she sighed heavily. "Guess Tamaki won that bet." She grinned conspiratorially at Megumi. "Kyoya is going to _kill_ me when he finds out we're hosting a wagashi tasting."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Huge thanks to mutemuia and No-Time Lord for the reviews, and AkizukiYueChan and TheMaximumExperience for the favorites. Your constant support is more encouraging than you know! I PROMISE, the next few chapters are going to see a lot more of Kaoru and Megumi together.


	16. Chapter 16

Kaoru was a bit dispirited to find himself sitting at a restaurant with Hikaru and Kyoya rather than Megumi and Laney. He'd crashed at Hikaru's apartment after spending the whole day with him, going through the business and reallocating areas of responsibility. Then Hikaru had decided that, having gotten their professional lives in some better semblance of order, it was time to deal with their personal lives. Which evidently entailed getting shitfaced and rhapsodizing about how great things were right now with Jen, alternating with strenuously advising Kaoru to stop wasting time with Megumi and "hit that already." _Nice, Hikaru. Stay classy, bro._

Round about 1:30 in the morning, Hikaru had become maudlin: "_Life is short and utterly unpredictable, Kaoru. I don't care what Kyoya told you, or what Huni and Haruhi said. If you see a chance for happiness, grab it with both hands and do not let go. You've known this girl for what, two, three weeks? And suddenly you're getting your shit together? That's not a coincidence. Please, promise me you are not going to pull your usual shit of waiting until everything is 100% crystal clear before you make your move. Trust in the universe—hell, trust in _yourself_ a little bit. Don't let this pass you by because you were too busy trying to avoid heartbreak. For the right girl, a little heartbreak is worth it."_ And with that said, he'd passed out. More from the jetlag than the alcohol, Kaoru had thought, but he'd stuck around just to be sure.

When he'd reminded Hikaru in the morning that he was planning on meeting Megumi and Laney for lunch, Hikaru had invited himself along. "I need to meet this girl. Like, really meet her. Last time didn't count—I was distracted."

When they got to the restaurant, they found Kyoya already there, sitting at a table with a cup of tea and a newspaper. "The ladies will be slightly delayed, as they've run into traffic," he announced, not bothering to look up from the paper. "Hello, Hikaru. Back from your New York frolics so soon?"

"I wasn't frolicking, I was working. Very hard, I'll have you know." Hikaru grumbled, sitting down as far from Kyoya as he could get at the round table.

"Not for the last 36 hours, you weren't. I have it on good authority that _frolicking_ was the high order of the day."

"Were you _spying_ on me?"

Kyoya finally looked up. "Yes, Hikaru, I was spying on you. I've detailed men to follow you and report back with a full accounting of your daily activites, focusing on any indiscretions. How astute of you to have figured it out, considering that the far more likely source of information was your girlfriend calling my wife for their weekly chat. But I can see there's no fooling you; I'll have to remind my men to be more discreet. Perhaps they should take off the fedoras and trench coats, hmmm?"

"God, you're in a mood, Kyoya," Kaoru said while Hikaru deliberately buried himself behind a menu.

"I was woken up at 7:30 in the morning. Pleasantly, I will grant you, but still—7:30."

"Does she know she's taking her life in her hands when she pulls that shit?" Hikaru stage-whispered to his twin.

"Please, you know she can do no wrong in his eyes," Kaoru played along.

"She _can _do wrong in my eyes. She just never actually does so," Kyoya said, not without a touch of smugness.

"Wait, I'm confused. Were you actually invited today?" Hikaru shot back.

"Husband and wife are one flesh. Ergo, an invitation extended to Laney is an invitation extended to me."

"I'm fairly certain that's not actually codified in Japanese law."

"It's possible I was not at my absolute best when Hisakawa stopped by this morning. I thought it prudent to rectify any poor impression I may have made."

"So, you acted like an asshole, and now you're feeling guilty," Hikaru translated.

Kyoya shot him a dirty look and picked the paper back up. Kaoru had been watching the whole exchange with no little amusement. He knew that despite the surface antagonism, both men thoroughly enjoyed their verbal battles. As for him, he was just glad Hikaru and Kyoya were sniping at each other rather than him for a change.

After about ten minutes, Megumi and Laney came into the restaurant, chatting animatedly with each other on their way to the table. Kaoru swallowed hard; Megumi, who usually dressed on the conservative side, was now in capris and a form-fitting t-shirt, emphasizing every slight curve of her body. As he stood to pull her chair out, he found had to drag his eyes back up to her face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kyoya greet his wife with a very proper kiss on the cheek and what was likely a highly improper suggestion whispered in her ear, based on Laney's entirely too self-satisfied smile.

"So how was the hike?" Kaoru directed this to Megumi.

"Um. It was … invigorating," Megumi responded carefully. Kaoru had been paying enough attention over the last few weeks to sense a longer story lurking behind the surface politeness. He grinned, eager for a chance to draw Megumi out. She had a rapier-like wit, and he wanted to show her off a bit to Hikaru. He glanced at Laney, who winked back in understanding.

"Three and a half miles is a short hike by anyone's estimation," she declared.

"Laney, tell me you took pity on the poor girl," Hikaru put in. "I've been on one of your 'short and easy' hikes. I think I had to go to the hospital afterwards."

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Megumi said, leaping to her friend's defense. "I'm just a little out of shape. But it was a lovely way to spend a morning." She took a deliberate sip of tea. "It might have been more enjoyable had we not apparently been doing a time trial."

"Oh, _snap_," Hikaru crowed. "She got you, Lane." The entire table swiveled their gazes to him.

"Did you really just say _oh snap_?" Kaoru asked.

"I see Jen's prodigious vocabulary has rubbed off on you. She is quite the intellectual, isn't she," Kyoya said with a particularly vicious smile.

"Careful," Hikaru warned in a soft voice.

Kyoya took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Hikaru. That was uncalled for. I just hope things between you two stay on a good footing this time around, is all."

Megumi leaned close to Kaoru and whispered in his ear, "You are going to explain this later, right?" It was less a question than a dictate. He nodded, and she whispered again, "_Good._ Because I do not like being out of the loop." Her breath tickled his skin, and this close, he could smell her, clean and sweaty and faintly floral. It was with a great effort that he restrained himself from turning his head and kissing right behind her ear, burying his nose in her intoxicating aroma.

He didn't know what had come over him. Strike that—he knew _exactly_ what had come over him; he just didn't know why it had suddenly jumped into overdrive. Maybe it was as Haruhi said; getting one part of his life cleaned up was bringing clarity to other parts. Maybe it was Hikaru's speech about taking chances. Upon reflecting, Kaoru found that he really didn't care _why_ his attraction to Megumi had suddenly kicked up several notches. For maybe the first time in his life, Kaoru wanted to try to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The five of them enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Kaoru was pleased to see Kyoya took special pains to be friendly to Megumi; not quite the genuine warmth that he only occasionally displayed even to his closest friends, but not quite his typical fake charm, either. Hikaru was also uncharacteristically quiet, at least for Hikaru; he still made plenty of jokes and traded jibes with Kyoya and innuendo with Laney, but Kaoru noticed his twin was focused intently on Megumi.

As lunch came to a close, Kyoya pulled out his phone, glaring darkly. "Laney. What is this text from Tamaki about needing to get together to plan a wagashi tasting?"

"Lord, we'd better get over there right away, otherwise he's going to drag poor Haruhi out in this heat to look for us," Laney said.

Kyoya heaved an irritated sigh and stood up. "You lost that bet on purpose. Don't think I don't know that."

"Baby, if you had seen him planning this out, you would have picked the losing side too. He was like a little kid on Christmas morning."

"I have never once lost to that idiot, and I certainly would not start now."

"Darlin' boy, that is why you have me to take the hit and lose for you," Laney smiled up at him.

"Aren't I the lucky one?" Kyoya's voice was lightly mocking, but Kaoru could see the naked adoration in his eyes as he looked down at his wife. He waited for the usual twinge of raw envy, but was distracted instead by Megumi's throaty laughter.

"I hope I rate an invitation to this event."

"You can be my date," Kaoru offered recklessly. He was rewarded with a bright sunny smile from Megumi. He felt untethered. _I need to make her smile like that more often._

Hikaru rose as well. "Kaoru, I hate to leave you stranded, but I have a ton of errands I need to run. Megumi, would it be okay for you to take him home?"

"It would be my pleasure," Megumi replied, polite as ever. But after the other three had left the table, she turned to him. "Well, that was transparent, wasn't it?"

"Hikaru and subtlety have never exactly gone together," Kaoru said. "Don't worry, I can catch a cab."

"Don't be ridiculous," Megumi scoffed. "I'm happy to give you a ride. I just think it's a little ridiculous that they thought they had to arrange it."

"I bet Laney and Hikaru are congratulating each other right now," Kaoru agreed. "Hika probably has a _Mission Accomplished_ banner all ready to go."

Megumi laughed. "I like him. I really didn't expect to, but he's infectious."

"Like a disease."

"You two are as close as ever, aren't you?" she observed quietly.

"Yeah, we are," he smiled. "But not quite so codependent anymore."

"That's good. That you're still close, I mean. I know back in high school, a lot of the girls worried when you guys had that fight and then Hikaru changed his hair. They thought it meant the end of your unique relationship."

"No, I think in a lot of ways it actually brought us even closer," Kaoru said thoughtfully. "Once we weren't quite so enmeshed, we were better able to appreciate each other as individuals and to help each other grow." Then he focused in on the last words Megumi had said. "_Unique relationship?_"

Megumi shrugged and finished her tea. "I always figured it was just an act." She looked him straight in the eye. "Was I right?"

"God, yes!" Kaoru groaned. "I know we're close, even for twins, but he's still my _brother_. Not to mention that I very, very, _very_ definitely like women."

"Just checking," she said coolly. "Did you have plans for the rest of the afternoon? There's a movie I've been wanting to see if you'd like to join me."

"No plans. A movie sounds great," Kaoru said, a little dazed and more than a little thrilled at the idea of spending a couple hours with Megumi in a dark room. _Down boy. She just asked you if you've ever fucked your brother, so I wouldn't say you're home free yet._ Still, when they rose from the table to walk to out to the car, Kaoru caught her hand, and Megumi did not let go.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Huge thanks to Melanie-Says and pikaremo for the favorites, and to Izzyboopers, Melanie-Says, No-Time Lord, and mutemuia for the reviews.


	17. Chapter 17

There were definitely worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than in the company of Hitachiin Kaoru, Megumi decided, blinking as they left the dark of the theater and emerged into the brightness of late afternoon. She wasn't sure what she'd liked best—the heat of his hand resting on her knee, or the running commentary on the movie he'd whispered in her ear. At one point, she'd had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep from bursting into loud gales of laughter.

"That was a terrible, terrible movie," Kaoru said, grinning down at her as he caught her hand in his.

"I know," Megumi chuckled throatily. A small bubble of happiness and excitement had lodged itself in her chest. "The part where he took her coffee out of her hand? Her _first cup _of coffee?"

"Granted, I don't have the experience of someone like Hikaru, but based on, oh, only _every single woman I've ever known_, that seems like it would lead to a swift kick in the balls rather than a hot and heavy make-out session."

"What about the part where he just straight-out stalked her and got the apartment across the street so he could watch her sleep? Beyond creepy."

"Is that really what passes for romance these days?" Kaoru asked. "I weep, I truly do."

"Not in my book, it doesn't," Megumi said, feeling her pulse start to speed up a little as Kaoru's thumb traced small circles on her skin.

"Hmm." He seemed like he was about to ask a question, but evidently changed his mind.

"Did you want me to take you home now?" Megumi asked. Then, in a rush, "I mean, I don't have any plans. I'm all caught up on grading, so if you want to hang out, I'm up for that too. Or I could just take you home. Whatever you want." _Wow. That was smooth. Good job, Megumi! It would have been a shame to break your six-month streak of no action, but that probably saved it._

Kaoru just smiled at her. He had the most gorgeously open smile Megumi thought she'd ever seen. "This has been such a great day. I'm not ready for it to end, are you?"

Megumi shook her head. If she was being honest with herself, she'd always found Kaoru attractive, but there was something different about him today. He carried himself with a new kind of quiet confidence that was more than a little bit hot.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"Do you mind if we just walk a little? I need to stretch out my legs after this morning—I could feel them starting to cramp up in the theater."

"Well, we certainly can't have that," Kaoru said, his voice going a little husky. "Just to be on the safe side, maybe I should massage them for you later."

_Holy shit. _Megumi shivered a little.

Kaoru noticed immediately. "Sorry. Too much?"

"Maybe a little," Megumi admitted.

"I'm sorry. It's just … it's been a while, you know? I think I'm a little rusty."

"You're not the only one." She laughed a little nervously. " But I'm a little surprised at you. I mean, you work with gorgeous models all day long."

He sighed. "Actually, I don't. I work with gorgeous models occasionally for shoots and shows, but that's hardly an everyday occurrence. And even then, those women are paid to make my clothes look good. Not to entertain me. I have no problem asking a model to be my date at a business event, or going out in a group to blow off some steam, but anything more? That's kind of an ethical bright line I'm not real willing to cross."

"I'm sorry." Megumi looked down. "I didn't mean …" she trailed off helplessly.

"Hey," Kaoru said tenderly, tipping her chin up with one finger. "What's going on in that head?"

"I feel like we keep having these _moments,_" she said miserably, "and that I keep ruining them by being incredibly awkward."

"I _like_ awkward," he said firmly. "My whole business revolves around selling the façade of perfection. I've got pretty much exactly zero use for that in my personal life_. _I want us to keep having awkward conversations where we screw up and stumble and maybe get to the point where we tell each other things we've never told anyone else, ever." He took a breath and leaned close, whispering in her ear, "And the way you chew the corner of your lip when you're feeling awkward? It drives me fucking wild."

Megumi was more than a little dazzled. "I thought you said you were rusty," she whispered back, not entirely trusting her voice.

"Imagine how good I'll be when I'm back up to speed." He gave her a boyish grin, tugging her hand. "Come on. I think there's a park around here someplace. Let's see if we can find it."

As they walked, Kaoru tucked Megumi's hand in the crook of his elbow, switching sides so he was next to the street. Megumi was absurdly touched by the old-fashioned protective gesture. "So. What is the deal your brother and this mysterious Jen?" she asked. "You promised you'd fill me in."

"There's not actually much to fill in," he replied. "Laney and Jen were college roommates, and have been best friends ever since. Hikaru met her on a visit to DC, and they kind of had a fling."

"And this fling is why the tension in the room rises about ten notches whenever her name is mentioned?"

"It was purely physical for a couple years, and not at all serious. Then … I don't know. It's devolved into this highly fucked-up, off-again on-again shitshow." He sighed. "The funny thing is, I actually really like Jen. Hikaru can be difficult, but someone like Jen is perfect for him. She doesn't take any of his shit, but at the same time, she always has his back. Whenever he's having trouble with a concept, talking with her always seems to clarify things for him. I can always tell when he's designing something with her in mind—it has a vibrancy, an electricity to it. When they're on, she's really good for him."

"But when they're off?" Megumi pressed gently.

"They know what buttons to press, and neither of them hesitate in pressing them. It's easy to blame Jen, and God knows I do more than half the time, but I know Hikaru. He doesn't hold back, either. They are not careful with each other." He sighed again. "Do you mind if we don't talk about this?"

"I'm sorry," Megumi said, for what felt like the fifth or sixth time that afternoon. "I didn't mean to bring up a difficult subject."

"No, it's not that." Kaoru ran his free hand through his hair. "Hikaru takes up a lot of space in my head, and I'm starting to realize that that's not particularly helpful, or healthy. For either one of us. And I mean, look around! This is a perfect late spring day, I'm walking around town with a fascinating and sexy woman, and we're trying to find a park I'm not certain actually exists in this neighborhood. I don't want to think about my brother and his problems right now."

"Wait—you're not certain this park exists?"

Kaoru stopped in the middle of the street and pulled her to him, kissing her swiftly on the lips. "I _love_ that _that_ is your takeaway from this particular confession."

They did eventually find the park, but only after wandering around for another 45 minutes. By this time, the sun was starting to go down. Megumi, abandoning all dignity, flopped down in the grass. Kaoru laughed his easy laugh and sat next to her. "Tired?"

"Exhausted," she admitted. "My legs feel like they're on fire."

Kaoru reached out and picked up one leg, moving it into his lap. He started rubbing, gently at first.

"I thought you were joking," Megumi started, then leaned back with a moan as his fingers started found a bad knot and starting working on it.

"Too hard?" he asked, easing up a bit.

"No, perfect." She closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the bliss of Kaoru's hands easing the hours of overuse. "I think I'd better start hitting the gym if I'm going to continue to go hiking with Laney."

"You know, just because Kyoya never says no to her doesn't mean you can't."

"I'm not a pushover, Kaoru." She opened one eye to glare at him.

"Yeah, I'd figured that one out." He switched to her second leg. "So what is your idea of romance?"

"That's a bit of a non sequitur, isn't it?"

"After the movie, you said that stalking and coffee denial wasn't your idea of romance. What is?"

"Long walks on the beach and a dozen roses," she said flippantly.

"Well, if that's how you're going to play it." Kaoru stopped rubbing.

"Okay, okay," Megumi laughed. "Let me think a minute. I don't think anyone has ever asked me about this before."

The sun had almost left the sky, but the heat of the day still lingered close to the ground. Small birds were coming to roost in a nearby tree, cooing and fussing as they settled in for the night. A light breeze had started up, sweeping through the longish grass and setting the late spring flowers to nodding and waving.

"Walking in the rain together under an umbrella," Megumi finally answered. "I know it's a cliché, but still. Taking out the trash when it's not your turn. Street festivals. Fireworks on the water. Long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."

"That's from a movie, isn't it?_"_

"Doesn't make it any less romantic. Your turn."

"Spending all day in bed." Megumi smacked him lightly in the shoulder. "No, I'm serious. Getting so completely lost in another person that everything else fades away. Not letting anything intrude on the world you've built together." Kaoru leaned down over her.

This kiss was anything but swift. He captured her lower lip between his and tugged gently. When Megumi obediently opened to him, he devoured her mouth at an achingly slow pace. He tasted like almonds and mint and green tea, and every thought flew out of her head except _yes_ and _now_ and _please. _She threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, luxuriating in the desire coursing through her body.

"_Shameful, that's what it is. Absolutely shameful._"

Kaoru groaned and they pulled apart. Two old ladies were standing nearby, making sure to pitch their voices so they carried. "Someone ought to call the police on them. Such a display!"

"Sorry, ladies," Kaoru called out boldly as he helped Megumi to her feet. "Hope we didn't ruin your night, but there's no need to be jealous." Megumi giggled as she tried to shush him. They walked quickly out of the park.

"I feel like a teenager now," he complained. "Except I never got in trouble like that when I was a kid."

"Oh, come on."

"Pure as the driven snow, I swear."

On the way back to Megumi's car they stopped at a hole in the wall for some dinner. Megumi watched Kaoru lick the sauce from his ikayaki off his fingers, and felt a hunger that had nothing to do with food. She was almost giddy with happiness. _Calm down. You are _not_ sleeping with this man tonight, _her mature, responsible brain said. _But I bet he is really, really, really, _really _good in bed_ was the response from significantly lower parts of her body.

When they got to his apartment building, Kaoru invited her up. "Just for a cup of tea, or something. Please." He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll be a perfect gentleman, I swear. I'm just not ready for this day to end yet."

_Well, one cup of tea can't hurt._

They fell on each other as soon as the elevator door closed. "Is this what you call being a perfect gentleman?" Megumi managed before closing her mouth over the pulse point in his neck. Kaoru didn't even bother to answer, burying his hands in her hair as his head tipped back to allow her greater access.

When the elevator finally reached the top floor, Megumi couldn't decide whether the ride had been too short or too long. Kaoru was grinning at her over his shoulder as he tugged her out of the small box. _I am not sleeping with him tonight. I am not sleeping with him tonight. I am not sleeping with him tonight_, Megumi chanted inside her head. _But an extended make-out session is definitely on the table._

He pressed her up against the door, nuzzling into her neck as he fumbled with his key. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he breathed. "You make me feel like I've been run through with lightning." They stumbled into the apartment as the door swung open.

"Kaoru, darling, you're home!" a silvery voice tinkled. A distinctively female voice. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to Melanie-Says, Chalice13, and mutemuia for the reviews, and to sockmonkies4ever, Bellsluv, and RastfarianDragon16 for the favorites. Thanks also to everyone who has followed this story so far. If I could I would bake everyone chocolate chip cookies. Anyone want to take bets on who is waiting for Kaoru in his apartment? ;)


	18. Chapter 18

Kaoru groaned, squinting his eyes closed harder against the morning light spilling across his bed. "Wake up, sleepyhead," a soft voice cooed into his ear.

"FUCK!" Kaoru shot bolt upright, glaring at his twin. "For the last time, that is not funny. You scared the shit out of me."

"For absolutely not the last time, that is _hysterical_. You should see your face," Hikaru laughed, flopping backwards on his brother's bed.

"Goddamnit, Hikaru! I might not have been alone, you know."

"Mom called me last night. You were alone."

Kaoru grabbed his phone off the nightstand, texting urgently.

"What's up?"

"I'm texting Haruhi. I need to find out what the criminal penalty for matricide is before I decide for sure it's not worth it." He set the phone back down, sighing heavily. "I got cockblocked by my _mother_. I'm not sure anything more humiliating has ever happened to me in my life."

"Oh, I'm pretty positive we can think of a few things," Hikaru grinned.

Kaoru threw a pillow at his brother. "Not. Helping," he growled.

"What was she doing here, anyways?"

"Mom? She wanted to check over some design sketches I'd been working on. I have no idea why that had to be done the very second she thought of it, but you know Mom."

Hikaru nodded in sympathy.

"Anyways, we walk into the apartment, and there she was, and there she stayed, for I kid you not, a goddamn _hour_, telling Megumi tales of our childhood mishaps and mayhem."

"I know. She could barely tell me the story, she was laughing so hard."

"Of course by that time, the mood had been entirely killed, and Megumi wound up leaving about three minutes after Mom, saying she had a family breakfast this morning and she needed to get some sleep." Kaoru dragged his hands over his face. "I am never, ever going to live this down."

At that moment his phone rang. Kaoru reached out and grabbed it without looking, assuming it was Haruhi wanting to know why he was suddenly so interested in Japan's criminal code. "Well?" he said. "How many years would I get, and do you think I could have at least have decent meals brought in while I'm serving my sentence?"

"That's a bit drastic, don't you think?" Megumi's voice sounded like she was struggling to hold back a laugh.

Kaoru was well aware that a big goofy grin was spreading over his face. He tried to shoo Hikaru out of the room, but when his brother refused to budge, he jumped out of bed and locked himself in his walk-in closet. "Hey," he said warmly. "You have no idea how insanely happy I am that you're even talking to me right now."

Megumi didn't bother holding back her laughter this time. "Your mom is _adorable."_

"That was completely humiliating."

"Why? Just because you're closing in on 30 and your mother still comes into your room? You could make a little sign for your door: KEEP OUT THIS MEANS YOU."

"Thanks. Way to rub it in."

"Hey, I'm not judging."

"You are totally judging. You're telling me your parents don't have a spare key to your apartment?"

"Well, of course they do, but they'd never just show up without asking," Megumi said. "And then if they saw I had a guest, they'd leave."

"Things don't work like that in my family."

"I think that's obvious." Her voice was warm, taking any sting out of the words.

"Did you really have breakfast with your family today?" Kaoru asked.

"Actually, I did. We try to get the whole family together about once a month."

"That sounds nice," he said, leaning back against the wall.

"It is. We're close. Not necessarily close enough to make impromptu appearances in each other's living spaces, but still."

"That sounds even nicer," Kaoru said wistfully, as the unmistakable sounds of Hikaru picking the lock on his closet door reached him. He turned his back to the door. "What are you doing today?"

"Groceries, laundry, and lesson planning. Another exciting day in Megumi-land," she replied. "What about you?"

"Well, right now I've shut myself in my closet, and Hikaru is about two seconds away from bursting in. I'm not sure what's on tap after that, but it almost definitely involves changing my locks." Kaoru made a face as he heard the door open behind him. A crumpled-up note soared over his head and landed in his lap, and then the door closed. "Want to get together later?" he asked as he uncrumpled the note.

Megumi sighed. "Kaoru, yesterday was perfect. One of the best days ever. And it's not that I don't _want _to see you, because I do. I really do."

"But?" he asked, his heart sinking.

"If we get together this evening, I'm not going to be able to get my head straight in time for class tomorrow. I'll be all giddy and unprofessional, and I'm just not comfortable with that yet. Can you understand?" Her voice sounded strained.

"No, I get it. I don't _like_ it, but I understand what you mean, and I can respect that," Kaoru replied, reading the note. It said: _Ouran Scholarship Benefit!_

"I'm really glad to hear that," Megumi said, clearly relieved. "I mean, there's no rush, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Kaoru assured her. "But speaking of time, and going places, have you heard about the benefit at the end of the month?"

"Which one?"

"The Ouran Scholarship Benefit."

"Oh. Yes, I think my brother was planning on attending. Although I'm not sure I quite understand. Why does Ouran need to throw a fundraising benefit for its scholarship program?"

"I know Tamaki wants to expand the program, and I guess he thinks if he can get buy-in from the families in the form of money, that will lead to greater acceptance of both the changes he's proposing in the program and also of the students themselves."

"Sounds rational enough," she allowed.

"Yeah, anyways. Would you be my date? Please?" Kaoru had no idea why, but he actually felt _nervous_. He couldn't remember the last time he felt nervous asking a woman out on a date.

"I'd love to. I'll have to check my calendar to be sure, but I can't imagine I have anything that can't be moved. Last Saturday of the month, right?"

"Yep. I'll have someone call you about setting up a dress fitting, so you don't need to worry about what to wear."

"I can get my own dress, Kaoru," Megumi said, nettled. "You don't have to worry about me embarrassing you."

"I don't doubt that you could pick out something very nice on your own, Megumi, but very nice won't cut it. I need you dressed perfectly, and I need you in Hitachiin," Kaoru said, his voice going a little steely. "This isn't a night out with just us—this is business."

"Kaoru. You do not get to tell me what to do. Ever. Is that clear?" Megumi matched his tone almost exactly. "If there's something you want, you need to ask. Politely."

Kaoru tried to tamp down the irritation and impatience. She was right, after all. He couldn't talk to her like one of his models. "Please. It would be embarrassing for me on a professional level if my date were wearing another significant label. I would really appreciate it if you would comply with my request." _Comply with my request? Bleep bloop. Not wear Hitachiin, does not compute. God, Kaoru, pull it the fuck together._

There was a measured silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Megumi spoke. "I'll expect that call. Next time, I'd better not have to remind you to use your manners." She didn't sound particularly pleased.

"Thank you," he said, a little cautiously.

"But the confident decisive businessman thing? It's more than a little bit sexy. Just so you know." And with that, she hung up.

Kaoru slid down until he was lying prone on the floor. The goofy grin was back. _She thinks I'm sexy? _It had been a long time since he'd felt this particular heady combination of exhilaration and nerves. He was determined to enjoy it. _She thinks I'm sexy!_ He'd clued into that a bit last night, but there was no denying the thrill it gave him to hear Megumi say the words.

As he lay there on the closet floor, he became aware of voices on the other side of the door. _Oh, for fuck's sake, Hikaru._ As he opened the door, he saw Hikaru lying down on the bed, chatting with someone on Kaoru's tablet. "Sure, it's no problem if you use my stuff, Thanks so much for asking, Hikaru," he muttered, loud enough to be heard by both parties.

"Hey, Kaoru!" Jen's voice came out of the tablet as Hikaru flipped it around so his girlfriend and his twin could see each other.

"Hey Jen."

"I heard you had a couple of visitors last night."

"I wouldn't get too smug if I were you, Jen. Your turn is bound to come around."

"Yeah, but I'm not shy about asking people to leave so I can get it on," Jen said, looking entirely too self-satisfied. "So what's the deal with the giant goofball grin if you didn't get any last night?"

Kaoru wasn't sure how it was physically possible, but the grin got bigger. "She told me I'm a little bit sexy."

Hikaru flipped the tablet back to so he could see Jen. "You see what I'm working with here?"

"Oh, I see. _He's got it bad, bad, bad, he's hot for teacher." _Hikaru joined in on the next line: "_He's got it bad, so bad, he's hot for teacher!"_

"Isn't that song a little before your time, Jennifer?" Kaoru asked, sitting down behind his twin and resting his chin on Hikaru's shoulder.

"The classics never die, that's why they're called _classic_," she said flippantly. "And you're what, two years older than I am?"

"So, is she coming to the benefit with you?" Hikaru interrupted.

"Yeah. Who do you think should outfit her?"

"I'll make you a deal—I'll take care of Megumi if you can handle Carmen."

"You're bringing Carmen as your date?"

"Who's Carmen?" Jen asked, not even trying to affect disinterest.

"Aside from _married,_ kitten? She's this girl we met in Spain, years ago. Don't worry, she struck more sparks with Kyoya than she ever did with us," Hikaru reassured his girlfriend.

"Oh, that's a relief." She made a face. "Instead of worrying about her hitting on you, I get to worry about her hitting on my best friend's husband."

"Did you not hear when I said _married?"_

"Besides, you know Kyoya only has eyes for Laney," Kaoru chimed in.

"Yeah, we made Mori go to a maid café for his birthday last year, and Kyoya spent the entire night texting her. They're totally codependent."

"You guys made Mori go to a maid café? That poor fucking bastard. I swear, I don't know how he puts up with you."

"Our natural charm," the twins chorused.

"Natural charm, my ass," Jen muttered.

Kaoru stretched, yawning. "Okay, you two, I need to grab a shower. No kinky video sex on my bed, okay?"

Jen and Hikaru just laughed. Not feeling terribly sanguine about his request being honored, Kaoru left the room. _Megumi thinks I'm sexy!_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to seeds123 for the favorite, and Chalice13, whenthesheepsaysbaa, Melanie-Says, kankananime123, Beaker77, and mutemuia for the reviews. The song quoted is Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher." You guys! I knew you would all guess it was his mom-who else, right?


	19. Chapter 19

"Try the peacock blue," Hikaru commanded, pointing to the pile of designer gowns currently taking over Megumi's couch. Megumi didn't bother to stifle a sigh of irritation. This was the fifth gown she'd tried on, and even though she thought the first four looked perfectly fine, Hikaru was far from satisfied.

"What was wrong with the green one?" she huffed, stalking over to pick up the silk gown Hikaru wanted her to try next.

"It made you look too hippy."

"Are you calling me fat?" She glared at him.

"Not at all. You have a small waist, though, and we want to accentuate that. And for you, the lower the neckline, the better. You have a perfect bust."

Megumi dropped the dress she was carrying. "Seriously? I'm practically dating your brother, and you're commenting on my breasts?"

Hikaru looked completely unconcerned. "I'm not commenting on your breasts. I'm commenting on the way clothes hang on your frame."

"And it's so easy for you to separate the two?"

"Yes, Megumi, as a matter of fact it is. That's my job, you know. I wouldn't be much good at it if I hadn't learned to separate sexual attraction from objective evaluation."

She sat down on the couch, shoving the dresses together in a pile. "You are so different from what I expected."

"Because I've managed to grow up a little in the ten years since we never actually spoke to each other? I'm flattered." He rolled his eyes. "Did you honestly expect me to hit on my twin brother's … whatever you are."

"On second thought, maybe you're not that different after all."

"I didn't mean it like that." Hikaru sounded genuinely apologetic. "I just didn't want to presume. Trust me, I am more than well acquainted with the undefined relationship. Although since we're on the subject, what exactly are your intentions here?"

"Is it entirely appropriate for you to be playing the paternal Victorian heavy for your brother?"

"In case you hadn't noticed already, Kaoru and I never really gave much of a shit about _appropriate_. And you didn't answer my question."

"Probably because that's really something I should be discussing with him, and I don't see that it is any of your business whatsoever," Megumi said, more patiently than she felt.

Hikaru sighed. "Look, I swear I'm not trying to scare you off here, but Kao and I? We are always each other's business. I can't begin to fathom that ever changing. Is that going to be a problem for you?"

Megumi considered him for a moment. "I think the better question is, will it be a problem for _you_ if it does change?"

"Are you planning on changing it?" His voice was wary.

"Of course not. But people grow. Relationships change. What will you do if Kaoru does get married, and has a family? You don't think your role in his life will necessarily lessen in importance?"

"Can I have some tea?" Hikaru asked abruptly.

"Of course," Megumi said, manners taking over automatically. "But I think I deserve an answer to my question."

"Well, I think you only deserve an answer to your question when I get an answer to mine," he returned, standing up to follow her into the kitchen.

"Are we six now?"

"This isn't about tit for tat. If you're not planning on being a part of Kaoru's life, than you have no right to ask me that kind of question."

Megumi pulled down several boxes of tea, indicating that Hikaru should take his pick. She brought the kettle over to the sink to fill with fresh water. "Not counting school, which shouldn't count because it's not like we ever really talked to each other, I basically met your brother a month ago. And you're asking me if I'm planning on being a part of his life? Hikaru, that is completely putting the cart before the horse."

"God, Jen is going to _love_ you. Two peas in a fucking pod," he muttered to himself. He handed Megumi the box of genmaicha, and she measured out the tea into two mugs.

"You're very protective of him, aren't you?" she asked calmly, watching the kettle.

"Kaoru takes up a lot of space in my head," Hikaru explained. When Megumi laughed, he gave her an unfriendly look.

"I'm sorry, but that was the exact phrase he used about you. Even the intonation was the same." She paused for a moment, wondering whether to reveal what else Kaoru had said. But her instincts were telling her this was a conversation that needed to be had, and probably it was just as well to hash it out now. "He also said he was starting to think that wasn't necessarily the best thing in the world."

"He said that?"

"I think it was more along the lines of he didn't want to be thinking about you and your problems while he could be enjoying a nice day instead."

Hikaru laughed, looking inexplicably delighted. "Really? He really said that? You actually got Kaoru to stop obsessing about fixing someone else's problems and just enjoy himself?" Megumi nodded cautiously, and Hikaru grabbed both her shoulders, kissing her forehead. "He has to marry you. There's just no alternative now."

The kettle began to boil, and Megumi gently but firmly pushed Hikaru away so she could pour the hot water into the waiting cups. "You're not upset?"

"Upset?" He laughed again. "Woman, I have been trying for _years_ to get Kaoru to do what you managed to do in one month. If that's the rule rather than the exception when he's with you? I don't want to be the one to tell tales out of school, but you have no idea what an impression you must have made on my little brother."

Megumi felt absurdly pleased, but _still_. They'd known each other for a month. They hadn't even had a conversation yet about whether or not they were in an exclusive relationship. _Because he has so much competition,_ she thought to herself wryly.

Hikaru picked up on Megumi's reticence. "I know, cart, horse, not in the right order. I'll shut up now."

"I'm not planning on _not_ being in his life," she admitted quietly. "I'm not going to have this conversation with you, particularly not before I've had it with Kaoru. But this isn't casual for me. I _like_ him."

Hikaru smiled at her, for once no hint of irony or sarcasm in his expression. "For what it's worth coming from me, I'm pretty sure he _likes_ you too." He took a sip of his tea, leaning back against the counter. "And to answer your earlier question, I don't see why increasing the number of people we love would ever make Kaoru and I less important to each other. He's my twin, Megumi. You can't begin to understand that relationship."

"Didn't you just get finished saying you two need to get out of each other's heads a little more?" Megumi took a sip of her own tea.

"It's complicated. I'm not sure I can explain it very well." Hikaru stared down into his cup, as if he were hoping to find inspiration there. "It's like … you have a seed, right? And you plant it in the ground, yeah?"

"As you do with seeds," Megumi said drily.

"And then you cover it up. It doesn't see the sunlight for a long time. Not for months and months and months."

"I think you're talking about bulbs rather than seeds, but go on."

"And then suddenly it starts to grow, and it pokes out of the ground. And from that point on, the plant needs sunlight. It'll die without it. But it doesn't stop needing the ground. It never stops needing the ground, even when it needs other things as well." He shrugged. "We're each other's ground, I guess."

Megumi stared at him. "Hikaru. That was downright poetic."

He gave her a cocky grin. "Every now and again I've been known to hit one out of the ballpark." Growing serious again, he continued, "Look, I know that if he does get married, have kids, he's going to have a lot less time for me. I know that hanging out is going to take a back seat to changing diapers and giving baths or whatever the hell it is you do with babies. But that doesn't mean that our relationship is any less foundational." He looked at Megumi. "That has, on occasion, freaked some girls out. Made them run for the hills, so to speak."

Megumi smiled. "I think I'm made of sterner stuff than that." A thought occurred to her. "Is that part of the problem between you and your Jen?"

"No, Jen is pretty familiar with the concept of foundational commitments. It's just a question of whether or not our particular foundational commitments can fit into each other's lives."

"Oh?" she prompted gently.

He looked thoughtful. "Well, for one thing, she told me she absolutely cannot move to Tokyo because there's no place where she can get a good pastrami on rye." Megumi raised her eyebrows, and he continued, "In her defense, I have had the pastrami at Katz's and it is life-changing. Follow it up with a couple chocolate-covered grahams from Russ and Daughters down the block? _Tam ganeydn._"

"She has a foundational commitment to pastrami?"

"Among other things."

"Well. She sounds just lovely," Megumi said.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Hikaru had the smallest edge to his voice.

"Sometimes I do that," she said apologetically.

"Yeah, I had noticed." He finished his tea and put the cup down, rapping his knuckles sharply on the counter. "He doesn't need _perfect_, you know. None of us need _perfect_. For one thing, it would be annoying as all fuck."

Megumi laughed a little and finished her tea, taking both cups and rinsing them out. When she was done, Hikaru grabbed her hand and tugged her back into the living room. "Come on. You still need to try on the peacock blue. I have a good feeling about it."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to Allison West, Izzyboopers, Chalice13, and mutemuia for the reviews, and to MS. QUEEN21, River-of-Fire, and reader4ever98 for the favorites. You guys have no idea, really. _Tam ganeydn_ means really good, delicious. Literally, _taste of the garden of Eden._ My Nana's apple pie was _tam ganeydn_, and so is chopped liver from Russ and Daughters. Personally, I can take or leave the pastrami.


	20. Chapter 20

"Good afternoon, Hitachiin-san," Megumi said as Kaoru wandered into the classroom. She had elected to eat lunch at her desk so she could help him set up the project they had planned out for the students.

"Seriously?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow at her as he wrestled the giant roll of butcher paper through the door.

"Let's keep it on a professional footing while we're in the classroom, please," Megumi said, but her smile added some warmth to her cool words.

"As long as you promise to abandon any and all professional reservations once we walk out the door."

"Kaoru!" she scolded. "What did I just say?"

"Of course, Hisakawa-san. Whatever you say, ma'am. You're in charge." He propped the paper roll up against the wall and wandered over to Megumi's desk, filching a rice ball. "I kind of like it when you're in charge. Very sexy," he said in a low voice, popping the rice ball into his mouth.

"I swear to god, if I'm blushing when my students come through this door …"

"You'll punish me?" Kaoru asked hopefully, his words slightly muffled by the food still in his mouth.

Megumi tried her hardest to give him a stern look, but dissolved into giggles instead. "You're incorrigible. Come on, I'll help you unroll that paper."

Instead of the music lesson Kaoru had initially wanted, Megumi had insisted that they design a lesson to help spark some ideas for the individual projects Kaoru had asked students to complete by the end of the year. They planned to cover the walls in butcher paper and set out various media around the classroom. The students could pick what they wanted to use, and how they wanted to use it, but each pre-assigned student pair needed to come up with a cohesive piece by the end of the hour. Keeping in mind Kyoya's warning that not all students had an artistic wellspring waiting to be tapped, he and Megumi planned to cover one wall with not only art, both concrete and abstract, but also poetry, song lyrics, blown-up sheet music, and even architectural blueprints. Standing on a small pedestal was a three-dimensional DNA model Kaoru had begged off of Laney

They got to work setting the room up for their lesson. They didn't speak much; like the first day he'd wandered into her classroom, Megumi seemed to know what Kaoru wanted almost before he did, and he was more than happy to let her give him direction in the best way to set everything up. They'd already agreed that Megumi would take the train to school so Kaoru could drive them both back to her place for dinner, and the unspoken promise of the evening ahead hung in the air, thick and heavy between them. Every time their fingers brushed against one another, an electric shock ran through him, and the memory of kissing her in the park, feeling her body beneath him, warm and sweet and pliant, rose to the front of his brain. _I am going to be so goddamn lucky if I can make it through this class without making an utter fool of myself,_ he thought ruefully, sneaking a glance at Megumi out of the corner of his eye. She appeared completely calm and collected, but Kaoru noticed her breathing was just the smallest bit ragged. He moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and rubbing the tension away. "Relax," he instructed gently.

"That is not helping," Megumi griped.

"It doesn't feel good?" Kaoru was surprised. He'd always considered himself something of an expert at shoulder massages.

"It feels amazing. Which is not helping me relax." She twisted away and smiled apologetically at him. "Professional footing, remember?"

"Megumi. Was this a bad idea?"

"_No_!" she said firmly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No. I'm just not used to having to separate my personal life and my professional life." She opened her eyes, and gave him another small smile. "Truthfully, I'm kind of not used to having much of a personal life at all. I just … can you dial it down a little? While I'm trying to figure out how to balance having you here in my classroom right now, and in my … in my apartment later?"

"I'll try, but it's not really anything I'm doing consciously," Kaoru said, wondering about that momentary stutter. _What had she been about to say? _He grinned disarmingly. "I can't help it that I'm incredibly attractive, you know. It's a gift _and_ a curse."

Once again Megumi dissolved into laughter. "You're a goof, is what you are," she said, turning around and picking up several empty cups. "Go fill these with clean water," she instructed, transferring the cups into his waiting arms. "I'll finish up in here."

Later that evening, as they entered her apartment, Kaoru couldn't stop babbling. He'd had a meeting with Chairman Suoh while Megumi had finished up class. "So he said he wants to see the outcome of our classes together, but unless something drastic happens, he doesn't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to offer a bimonthly seminar next year for interested students."

"That's wonderful, Kaoru!" Megumi looked at him. He seemed lit up from within. Even in just a month, she could see the clear difference in him. The subtle but constant tension he'd carried when they first met was all but gone. Megumi was struck by how happy that made her. She smiled, encouraging him to continue.

"This is all thanks to you, Megumi," Kaoru said, leaning against the kitchen counter as Megumi fished ingredients for dinner out of the fridge. "I would never have had the courage to do this if you hadn't encouraged me."

"I doubt that. You just wouldn't have thought of it."

"Same thing," he shrugged, moving to take her place in front of the refrigerator as she started chopping vegetables.

"It's not the same thing at all, Kaoru," Megumi said with some exasperation. "In fact, it's not even close."

"Whatever. I'm still giving you the credit. Want a beer?" At Megumi's affirmative noise, he expertly opened two bottles on the counter.

"I have an opener, you know."

"Yeah, but this way it didn't have to get dirty," Kaoru explained, taking a quick swig. "God, there is nothing better than a cold beer on a hot day."

"Sometimes I really wonder whether you have two brain cells to rub together," she grumbled, sliding the chopped vegetables from the cutting board into a large bowl. "Hand me those chicken breasts, will you?"

"You sure I can handle such a complex task?" he quipped before opening the fridge back up and retrieving the meat.

"You're only dumb north north-west."

"When the wind is southerly, I know chicken from pork?"

"Something like that." Megumi smiled fondly at him. Despite her complaining, she felt utterly content in the moment.

Without being asked, Kaoru begin to heat up some oil in the large pan while Megumi finished chopping up the chicken. He flashed her a quick smile as he began to raid her cabinets for seasonings, and she suddenly had to take a deep breath, slightly overwhelmed. _He is gorgeous, and funny, and compassionate and loyal and just amazing, and he is in my kitchen, helping me cook dinner. He fits into my life like he belongs here. _She smiled back, and the two of them spent a long moment, just staring at each other and grinning like two fools, until the oil started to sputter.

"Shit!" Kaoru muttered, turning down the heat. "Mental note: if I'm going to stare at you while imagining all the dirty things I want to do to you, don't try to cook at the same time."

"You said that out loud, you know." Megumi rolled her eyes, trying hard not to focus on the _dirty things_ part of that comment, lest her imagination completely run away with her and she melted into a puddle of extremely needy goo right there on the kitchen floor.

"I have no shame."

"I had noticed that."

"Yeah, but you love it," he said, giving her another one of his devilish grins.

She chuckled. "I do, actually."

"Knew it." He gave a ridiculously adorable fist pump before sliding the chopped chicken into the pan. "I can take care of dinner if you want to just go relax for a while," he said.

"You don't have to do that, Kaoru. I know you've had a long day too."

"I like cooking. It's relaxing. And I particularly like cooking for you. It's nice to feel like I can do something to take care of you a little."

Megumi pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. He pulled her closer, answering with a more demanding kiss. Megumi felt herself becoming weak in the knees, something she had always thought was just an expression until she found herself kissing this incredible man. As she started to press herself into him more firmly, he drew away regretfully. "Sorry, honey, but making out in front of a hot pan full of oil and food? Probably not the best idea we've ever had."

Megumi laughed. "What would you have said 10 years ago if someone had told you that you would be the voice of reason in a situation like this?"

"Who, me? I'm always the voice of reason."

She looked at him, thinking over the past month. "You know, aside from a slight neuroticism here and there, you really are."

Kaoru reached out and pulled her close once more, giving her a swift but passionate kiss before swatting her backside gently. "Go sit down and relax before I ravish you right here on the kitchen floor."

Megumi was just about to open her mouth to tell him she thought that sounded like an _excellent _idea when her phone rang. She grabbed it out of her bag and looked at the caller i.d.

"Oh god. It's Chiyo."

"Iseda Chiyo?"

"It's Matsuda Chiyo now, but yes, the same girl."

"Don't answer it."

"She's my friend," Megumi said.

"She's kind of a bitch, though, if I remember."

"You know how you don't want to be judged on how you acted in middle school? You might try extending that same courtesy to others." Megumi said as she answered the phone.

"Darling!" Chiyo shrieked, and Megumi held the phone away from her ear, wincing. "How have you _been?"_

"Fine, Chiyo, and you?"

"Oh, busy as ever. You know how it is. But I hear through the grapevine you've been in some fairly elite social circles lately!"

Megumi pulled a face. "Oh really?" she replied neutrally.

"Natsuko said she saw you having lunch with the Ootoris the other day. She also said the Hitachiin twins were there. You poor girl! I wouldn't have stayed, but you were always so much less sensitive to that kind of thing than I was."

_If by less sensitive you mean more inclined to put good manners above my own selfish inclinations, I'm certainly beginning to you think you're right_, Megumi thought. Aloud, she said, "They were perfect gentlemen." _Well, aside from making out in a public park, but I _really_ don't think Chiyo needs to know about that._ In the kitchen, Kaoru was pretending to gag at the thought of being described as a "perfect gentleman."

"Probably just trying to get your guard down," Chiyo sniffed. "They do that, you know. That way it's more fun when they humiliate you later."

"I think Kaoru and Hikaru are significantly less inclined to humiliate people who bother to take the time and effort to actually get to know them, instead of just making blanket assumptions based on one interaction," Megumi retorted.

"Well! _Kaoru and Hikaru_, is it now? Excuse me, Megumi. I certainly wasn't aware that the feelings of the Hitachiin brothers were so important to you. I'm sure I'm very sorry if I've offended you." Megumi quite couldn't tell if Chiyo was sincere or not. Before she could probe further, Chiyo went on. "But I hear you're becoming very close with Kyoya's wife. I'd love to meet her—I'm sure she could use a good introduction into society."

"I thought you didn't like her because she trapped Ootori-san in a loveless marriage?"

"I'm sure that's not _her_ fault!" Chiyo tinkled.

"She'll be at the Ouran Scholarship Benefit," Megumi said, feeling a headache starting up. "I'd be happy to introduce you then, if you're going."

"Well, of course I am, darling. But I'm rather surprised you're going. It's not exactly your _thing_, you know."

"Kaoru has asked me to be his date, so I'm sure I'll have a perfectly lovely time."

"Oh really?"

"Yes," Megumi said firmly. "Kaoru has a way of making even the most boring events seem fascinating."

"Oh I'm _sure_ he does. But don't forget to introduce me to Kyoya's wife. I'd love a chance to catch up and find out what my favorite host was up to all those years he exiled himself in America."

_Probably dodging people like you_, Megumi thought uncharitably, then chastised herself. Chiyo was her friend, after all. "Look, I have a guest, so I'll need to hang up now. But I'll see you at the benefit."

"You darling girl! Kisses!" And Chiyo rang off.

Megumi shook her head, looking bemusedly at the phone.

Kaoru poked his head out of the kitchen. "Look, I don't meant to speak out of turn, but from what I could hear of your side of the conversation? Still kind of a bitch."

"She's been a good friend," she said defensively.

"Really? May I have an example, please?"

Megumi thought. "She was really there for me when I got my heart broken in college." She thought more. "Although now that I think back on that, she certainly didn't refrain from pointing out all the mistakes I'd made in that relationship, and how she would have handled it so much better."

"Honey, she is a nasty piece of work," he said, turning the heat down and coming over to her. "I can't tell you how many women I've met just like her. Their favorite way of building themselves up is tearing someone else down."

She sighed heavily. "You might be right. Honestly, I don't think she even would have bothered to call me if she hadn't thought I could get her an in with Ootori."

"Oh?" Kaoru raised his eyebrows.

"She had a _huge_ crush on him, and I don't think she ever really got over it, to be honest."

He laughed. "Well, that will go nowhere fast. Particularly if she's stupid enough to insinuate to his face that Laney—what was the phrase? _Trapped him in a loveless marriage?"_

"That's the version of events she's working with." Megumi laughed. "I think she also mentioned at one point that Haruhi must have somehow tricked Tamaki into marrying her."

"You know, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen Tamaki furious, and have fingers left over. But if that woman upsets Haruhi this close to her due date? I think we're all going to see a side of Tamaki most people are very unfamiliar with."

"Tamaki? I didn't think he ever got mad."

"Usually he keeps it pretty well hidden. But his tolerance for Haruhi being upset has sunk to new lows lately." He chuckled. "Back in the day, he'd just run around like a chicken with its head cut off he thought Haruhi was angry or hurt. But these days? You might want to give your friend a warning—if she upsets either Laney or Haruhi, or hell, Reiko for that matter, Kyoya and Tamaki will pretty much ensure she is persona non grata for the foreseeable future. And she can bet on the rest of us falling lockstep in line behind them."

"If Chiyo is that rude, she might deserve what she has coming," Megumi decided.

After dinner, Megumi cleaned up the dishes. She'd had to argue with Kaoru for the privilege; he'd been somewhat insistent that she let him handle everything, but Megumi wanted to pull her own weight. A phone call from Hikaru settled the matter. Kaoru settled on the couch to talk to his twin while Megumi cleared the table.

After she'd finished, she joined Kaoru on the couch. He looked somewhat upset. "You're sure you're going to be okay, Hikaru?" he was saying. Megumi moved around behind him and started rubbing his shoulders, feeling him start to relax. "Well, if you're sure. No, I'm with Megumi." He rolled his eyes. "Good night, Hikaru."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Hikaru just got into another fight with Jen. But he's going over to Mori's. He'll be fine."

"You're sure you want to stay here?" Megumi asked. "I'd understand if you needed to go. I don't want to get in between you two."

"Honey, if I dropped what I was doing every time my brother and his girlfriend got into a fight, I'd never get anything accomplished. And he told me in no uncertain terms that he'd kick my ass if I left you to go comfort his sorry self." Kaoru sighed and sank deeper into the couch. "Come on, sit with me. Don't leave me lonely."

She moved back onto the couch and sat next to Kaoru. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight, sniffing her hair. "You smell amazing, you know that?"

Megumi pushed him away gently. "Enough empty compliments. Talk to me, Kaoru."

He sighed, dragging both hands over his face. "It sucks. I know, he's an adult, and I'm an adult, and we're separate people, blah blah blah, can't fix his problems. I _know _I can't fix his problems. I'm not even trying to do that anymore, I swear. But it doesn't make it _suck_ any less, seeing my twin in pain."

"I don't think it's supposed to not suck," Megumi said slowly, thinking it through. "He's your brother. You love him. I don't think you would be who you are if seeing the people you love in pain didn't affect you so much. It's not wrong that you hurt when your twin is hurting, Kaoru. I don't think that's something that needs to be fixed."

Kaoru took her face between his hands. "Megumi, when I say you're amazing, I mean it. You're just …" he shook his head, unable to find the words. He settled for kissing her instead. Like their first kiss, he was slow but demanding, tasting every corner of her mouth. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer.

Kaoru moaned, low and urgent, as he tipped her backwards on the couch. He continued kissing her, keeping his agonizingly slow pace as his hands wandered the length of her body, finally hitching her leg up around his hip. Megumi broke the kiss, desperate for air, but his lips didn't leave her, tracing down her throat and back up, until he found the sensitive spot just below her ear. She whimpered, hands going to the buttons of his shirt, then abandoning it in favor of undoing his belt.

"Oh fuck, Megumi, _fuck,"_ he breathed, voice ragged with desire.

"That's kind of the idea," she whispered back, pleased and excited that she could bring him to such a state.

"Oh, god, honey," he groaned, pushing himself up and off her. Megumi looked at him, thoroughly confused. "I'm just … I want you. It's not that I don't want you, because good god, I want you really, _really_ badly.

"But?"

"If this was a fling, it would be easier. But what I feel for you? It's _real_, and to be absolutely honest, I'm kind of freaking out a bit." He laughed. "I sound like a girl."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "You sound like a human being, Kaoru. One who has maybe had a little bit of emotional trauma at some point in his life. That's not necessarily limited to the female gender, you know."

"I don't know about _trauma_, but we've always had trouble letting people in all the way." He stopped, taking a minute to collect his thoughts. "I've had girlfriends, I've slept with them, I've loved them, it's not like any of this is new to me. But … I don't know. It _feels_ new." He paused. "Does that make even the slightest bit of sense to you? Because it makes absolutely none to me."

"Laney said she thought you were going through a quarter-life crisis."

"Fucking know-it-all Laney," he said, but his voice lacked any real reprobation.

"Kaoru." She reached out and picked up both his hands, holding them in hers. "We're not on a schedule here. You can take your time figuring out what you want."

"I know what I want," he said seriously. "I'm just trying to figure out a way to get there that doesn't involve things imploding down the line. I'm trying to avoid making the same mistake I always do."

"What mistake is that?"

His hands tightened on hers. "We don't let people in," he repeated. "I want—I think I _need_ to establish some kind of real emotional intimacy before getting lost in the physical side."

"You are not your brother," Megumi said gently. "I am not Jen. If this … if we do this, for real, we are going to make mistakes. But they will be _our_ mistakes. Don't borrow trouble."

Kaoru nodded, then leaned forward, kissing her softly. "I'm sorry. You deserve someone who is infinitely less screwed up."

"Oh Kaoru. We are _all _screwed up. That is the human condition, dear one."

"You're not screwed up. You're perfect."

"I'm judgmental as hell. I'm coming to the conclusion that I have particularly lousy taste in friends. I let my dirty laundry pile up until I have absolutely nothing left to wear."

"Yeah, but your ass cannot be beat," Kaoru said, shifting moods again and pulling Megumi on top of him.

"And that makes up for everything?"

"It makes up for a whole hell of a lot," he said against her throat, hands moving down to cup the anatomy under discussion. "And what it doesn't make up for, your breasts more than cover." Megumi's body shook with laughter. "I'm being serious here! Your tits are fucking fantastic."

Megumi sat up, smiling down at him. "You know, no one has ever made me laugh the way you do," she told him. "_Ever_. Take the time you need to figure this out, Kaoru, because I've got this sneaking suspicion that you are well worth the wait."

He flipped her suddenly, eyes hungry again. "Just because I'm not ready for everything doesn't mean I don't want to do anything," he said in a low, urgent voice, hands slipping under her shirt. "Wanna play?"

"Yes, please," Megumi breathed, tipping her head back and closing her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much to No-Time Lord (I missed you!), Chalice13, MS. QUEEN21, Izzyboopers, AlisonWest, and mutemuia for the reviews, and thanks to Down2earth360 and Hikari no Hoshi for the favorites. You guys, as always, rock! So, a slightly longer chapter than usual. But I couldn't figure out where to break it, so here you go. Summer is almost over, which is making me all kinds of sad. Updates will be continue to be spotty while the Small Dude and I spend our days at the pool.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: This chapter is a little bit on the suggestive side. Nothing explicit, but tons of innuendo and soft-focus descriptions. If that's not your cup of tea, please feel free to skip to the next chapter. I split this one in two so you will not miss anything of importance to the actual plot. **

* * *

"So this is where the magic happened," Laney said wonderingly as Kyoya escorted her into Music Room 3.

They'd arrived a bit early to the Ouran Scholarship benefit, which was being held in the main ballroom. Laney had asked for a tour of his old stomping grounds, and her husband was more than happy to oblige.

He smiled indulgently at his wife as she took in the contents of the oversized room. Aside from the grand piano shoved into one corner, there was still little to indicate that this was an actual music room rather an overly elaborate salon. Plush couches and small tables still took up most of space.

"I'd hardly call it magic," he responded to her comment. "I spent many late nights trying to balance the books to make sure this whole thing didn't topple down around our ears. It was an unbelievable amount of work for a stupid high school club run by the Moron King himself."

"And do you regret it?"

"Not a single second," he said promptly. Then, recalling some of their more outlandish cosplays, "Well. Maybe a few seconds. But on the whole? No, it was wonderful training for the complexities of running the Ootori Group."

Laney hummed noncommittally, and Kyoya placed a gentle kiss on her neck in silent thanks for not mentioning that he, technically speaking, did not actually run the Ootori Group. Yet. "And I suppose the boys have nothing to do with all those fond memories?"

"How did Fuyumi put it? 'Young men strengthening their friendship through ridiculous outfits and idiotic schemes?'"

She laughed. "I refuse to believe she ever said any such thing. Your sister adores the guys, and I know you do too, so don't play all stoic and cold-hearted with me, mister."

"_Adore_ is a very strong word. I adore you. Tamaki and the rest? They are, very occasionally, worth the trouble they cause."

"Baby, that was downright effusive."

"Don't tell them I said so."

Laney pretended to lock her lips and throw away the key. Kyoya laughed and placed his hand on the small of his wife's back, urging her further into the room. He watched her as she walked over the piano and played a quick arpeggio, her head cocked to one side as she listened to the acoustics in the room. Predictably lousy: the overstuffed chairs and sofas absorbed the sound. Terrible for music, but perfect for an illicit tryst. He smiled wickedly.

Hikaru had sent over a selection of gowns for Laney, and she had picked one with delicate straps crossing in the back, revealing what Kyoya had privately considered to be an indecent amount of skin. But seeing her smiling back at him over her shoulder, he was starting to reconsider. After almost four years of marriage, she could still rouse him with just a look. "Come here," he said, pitching his voice low. "I want to show you something."

He drew her to the far side of the room, where a few small alcoves were curtained off. He drew back the curtain to the largest of them. Much to his satisfaction, he found that the fainting couch he remembered from his high school days was still nestled in the corner.

"Is this where you took girls when you wanted some alone time?" Laney joked.

"Mmm. Thought about it a couple times, but no. These were the changing rooms." He pulled her close, her back against his chest. He lowered his head, laying a line of languorous kisses up the column of her neck.

"Kyoya! Anyone could walk in," she whispered anxiously, making no move to push him away as he reached her ear and nibbled at the delicate shell.

"I know," he said, his voice light and teasing. "It's a little exciting, isn't it?" His hands ran down her body, hiking up the hem of her dress. He toyed with it for a minute, letting his fingers tease her before sliding slowly but inexorably upwards. " _'License my roving hands, and let them go/ Before, behind, above, between, below,'_ " he quoted softly into her ear. He knew she had a weakness for Donne.

Laney let out a barely controlled exhale. "Why do I always let you talk me into this?"

Kyoya chuckled softly. "If I remember correctly, last time it was _you_ doing all the talking." Her body trembled with sudden tension as he found a particularly sensitive spot. He continued to stroke her lightly, whispering "But this time around I have other plans for that mouth of yours, my girl."

She twisted around in his arms, supple as a young willow. "Since when have I ever let you do anything according to plan?" she asked before claiming his mouth in a scorching kiss. "But if you're sweet to me, maybe I'll be sweet to you," she breathed into his ear, hands busy with buttons and zippers. He hissed when she found what she was looking for, and stilled his own fingers. Laney grinned wickedly, reciprocating his lack of motion.

"Right," Kyoya said, pushing her against the wall. "If that's how you want to play, I am more than happy to oblige." She gasped when his mouth made contact with her throat, and he pulled back, murmuring, "Think you can be quiet? I can be so good to you if you can just be quiet." She nodded, eyes fluttering closed as his tongue began to trace intricate patterns across her skin. He stopped. "Don't close your eyes. Watch me."

Laney complied, reveling in the look of pure concentration on her husband's face. She tried to move, to touch him, but he captured both wrists in one hand, pinning them above her head. "It's not your _turn,_" he breathed as his other hand moved lower, lower, until she had to actively fight to keep still, keep silent. Just when she thought she was going to lose the battle, he backed away, loosing her hands.

She wasted no time making her move, pausing only long enough to whisper "No noise," before lowering her head.

"_Fuck," _Kyoya hissed. "Unfair, Laney."

She smiled up at him. "I'm just following your plan."

He fisted his hands at his sides, worried that if he touched her now he would undo the careful hours of preparation she'd taken with her appearance for the benefit. Although at this particular moment, the benefit had receded considerably in importance; he was mightily tempted blow it off and spend the whole night right here. He didn't want to rush. He wanted to take his _time_ with her.

She did something delightful just then with her tongue, and Kyoya couldn't quite smother a low moan. Laney immediately stood up. He stared at her in disbelief, choosing to ignore the fact that he had left her on a similar precipice mere minutes before.

"Well," she whispered. "It looks as though we've found ourselves at a bit of an impasse."

"Are you open to negotiation?"

Laney shrugged. "That depends. What are you willing to put on the table?"

"You think I'm going to declare terms first?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he tugged her closer, trailing one finger lightly over the exposed skin of her back, barely touching her.

She shivered. "You play so dirty."

He moved closer still. "You love it."

"I love _you." _She closed the last minute bit of distance between them, pressing every inch of her body to his. "Negotiations?" she reminded him breathily.

"Closed," he said, pushing her back against the wall. It was the last coherent word either of them said for some time.


	22. Chapter 22

"Holy shit," Kyoya said, trying to catch his breath. He pulled Laney down with him as he collapsed on the couch. "I think you just fulfilled every single one of my 17-year-old self's fantasies."

"Only fantasies? You honestly expect me to believe you guys never got up to anything in here?" she teased lightly, her breath coming hard as well.

"You're joking. You cannot even begin to imagine how hard and fast the repercussions would have come down if we'd been found to be despoiling any of those girls." Kyoya answered.

Laney stiffened just the slightest bit. "_Despoiling? _Really? That's a fascinating word choice, Kyoya."

"I suppose the administration at your high school encouraged illicit underage liaisons on campus?"

"Not the point. The point was _despoiling._"

"And the point is taken. _Mea culpa_, love; It was a poor word choice."

"Were you upset to find that I had been _despoiled_?" Laney's voice held just the faintest trace of real anger, and Kyoya knew he had to answer carefully.

"Quite the contrary." He touched one finger to her slightly swollen lips. "I'm enormously grateful for your knowledge base and skill set, and have been since the first time we went to bed together."

His wife chuckled throatily, and Kyoya tamped down another sudden spike of desire. They couldn't hide in here much longer before someone came looking. He allowed one hand to wander idly up Laney's neck, toying with the idea of taking her hair down so he could run his fingers through it. She sensed his intentions and sidled away. "Don't you dare. I had to sit for over an hour today getting my hair done. You're not going to ruin it before this damn thing even begins."

Kyoya picked up on an odd note in her voice. "Nervous, baby?" he asked, somewhat surprised. Even before they'd met, Laney had never been a stranger to parties and benefits.

She looked away from him. "That whole room is full of people who think you made a mistake in marrying your little American _hafu,_ isn't it?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Probably fewer than a third of them are of that opinion. But they're all jackasses, so I wouldn't waste any time worrying about them. I don't make mistakes." Laney cocked her head, and he amended, "Well, I don't make them often, at least."

"Mmmm."

"Love, you cannot possibly imagine that I think our marriage was in any way, shape, or form a mistake. So what's really bothering you?"

She reached up to fiddle with the small wren pendant at the hollow of her throat. "I'm not used to being found wanting," she admitted. "It's an odd sensation, and not a particularly pleasant one."

Kyoya took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "_Fuck them all,_" he said firmly. "It doesn't matter what they think of you. Anyone with half a brain realizes how exceptional you are, and anyone who doesn't couldn't possibly matter."

"Even clients?"

"Fuck 'em," he repeated. "I told you four years ago: you come first."

"Or, on occasion, simultaneously."

"Filthy girl," Kyoya grinned. "Now let me see your war face."

"Sir, yes sir," Laney said saucily before giving him a doe-eyed, simpering smile.

"Perfect. They'll never know what hit them."

"Remind me again of who I need to charm and who I should ignore."

"Charm Wakahisa, the Nakamuras, Tsukino, and Miyamoto. Drop a few hints to Miyamoto and Wakahisa about the new therapy you're developing in the lab—nothing specific, just enough to whet the appetite. Nakamura's wife is big into conservation efforts for the Amami thrush, so open with that. Ignore the Kuzes."

"Kyoya!" she scolded. "I will not."

"He's a dickhead."

"Just because he had an inferiority complex when you two were in school does not make him a dickhead. Takeshi and Kanan have always been lovely to me."

Kyoya just rolled his eyes and moved on. "Watch out for Matsuda Chiyo."

"I don't think I've ever heard you mention her before. Is she someone important?"

"Not terribly. Matsuda Goro is a vice president in his family's electrical design firm, but they're not involved into the medical industry in any way. I think Huni's done some work with them in the past, but nothing of any real significance. Kaoru says the wife, Chiyo, is something of a social-climbing bitch—his words, not mine. Just watch your back, hmmm?"

"What, is she going to start a rumble on the dance floor?" Laney asked. "Should I be packing?"

"Yes, I highly recommend grabbing a steak knife and slipping it into your stocking," Kyoya replied. "Best to be well prepared."

"You're not going to leap to my defense? And here I thought you were my shining prince."

"You're mistaken. Tamaki's the prince. I'm the cool one."

Laney grinned. "Yeah, you're a regular Arthur Fonzarelli." When Kyoya raised an eyebrow quizzically, she put both thumbs up. "Heeeeeyyyy!"

"I am nothing like the Fonz." Kyoya pretended at outrage.

"That's for damn sure," Laney said, cuddling up close to him and kissing his neck. "Much sexier." He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "So why does Kaoru know this Matsuka woman?"

"Matsuda, and I gather she's an old friend of Hisakawa's. I further gather that Hisakawa has had cause lately to reevaluate her friendship with her former classmate." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "She's an old Host Club client of mine. It's possible she may have had a thing for me."

"Lord have mercy. A jealous spurned lover?"

"I poured her tea and made almost certainly inane small talk. I may, on the rare special occasion, have recommended one particular flavor of cake over another. She hardly has any reason to consider herself either jealous, spurned, or my lover." Kyoya said, disdain apparent in his voice.

"Baby, don't forget, I have been on the receiving end of your small talk. Charming as all hell, love."

"But you like my dirty talk better."

"I like all your talk. Your voice is absolutely one of your more devastatingly attractive features, and don't you pretend you don't know it."

"Makes your panties wet?"

Laney smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Speaking of which, I need them back, please."

"Nope." Kyoya reached into his pocket, fingering the silky material.

"Kyoya!"

"Not a chance. It's my good luck charm. Keeps me calm when I feel like slugging someone."

"You are so thoroughly depraved," Laney said, her slow smile full of promise.

"That's why you married me."

"One of the reasons, anyhow."

"Come on, we'd better get out there and show our faces before someone comes looking for us." He stood up, extending a hand to pull his wife to her feet. He cast a critical eye over her, then reached down for her purse and pulled out her lipstick. "Open," he commanded, applying the makeup carefully to her obediently parted lips.

"You know it's kind of creepy that you're so good at that," Laney remarked after blotting her lips with a tissue from her bag.

"After four years of cosplay with Tamaki and the idiot crew?" He held back the curtain and waited for her to pass into the larger room first before following.

"You're a man of many hidden talents, baby."

"You should see me in a kilt," he grinned.

"Ugh," Laney groaned. "If you don't want me to drag you back into that room and not leave it for the next three hours, you will kindly stop now with the Jamie Fraser fantasy fodder."

For just a moment, Kyoya gave the idea serious consideration.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to No-Time Lord, MS. QUEEN21, and mutemuia for the reviews, and to capt. twizzler and SilverKitsuneGrlAngel for the favorites. So I know I said updates will be spotty, and they WILL be, for the next few weeks at least, but I've had these two chapters mostly written so I figured I might as well throw them up. The story will get back to Kaoru and Megumi with the next chapter, but I did want to give everyone a little peek into how Kyoya and Laney are getting on. Jamie Fraser, man. If pop culture has produced two perfect men, they are Jamie Fraser and Lloyd Dobler. Kol hakavod, Diana Gabaldon.


	23. Chapter 23

Megumi shifted nervously in the lobby of her apartment as she waited for Kaoru to arrive. She was wearing the peacock blue gown Hikaru had decided on. Personally, she had liked the emerald one, but Hikaru had been insistent, and truth be told, she didn't quite have the confidence to argue with him about it. When Kaoru stepped into the lobby, though, his reaction made Megumi glad she'd gone with Hikaru's advice.

"Wow," he breathed. She started towards him, but he held up a hand. "Just … stay there for a sec. Please." She felt her face heat up. Kaoru was typically not shy with compliments, but she'd never seen him rendered speechless. He looked at her for a long moment, finally saying, "Remind me to thank Hikaru."

"_Excuse me?"_ She started heatedly, then shook her head as he grinned. "I'm so easy, it's a wonder you even bother."

"I realize that I'm going to have to trade in my feminist card for this, but you're adorable when you get a little mad." He closed the space between them in a few swift steps and bent to kiss her. "Your cheeks get all pink, and your eyes get all big, and I can't stop thinking about how you're going to make me pay later. You drive me crazy, in the best possible way," he breathed into her neck.

"Last week I made you pay by organizing my bookshelf," Megumi reminded him tartly. "Hardly the stuff of erotic fantasy."

"I don't know," he shrugged. "If I got you the right kind of books, I could see it." He stepped back, offering her his arm. "Come on. Hika and Carmen are waiting in the car."

"Was it really necessary to share a ride with your brother and his date?" she groused. She didn't particularly care all that much, but it did make her feel like she was going to a high school dance.

"Arriving together contributes to the Hitachiin mystique," Kaoru said easily. "People still eat that stuff up with a spoon. But," he lowered his voice as they approached the car, "you're kind of ruining the whole matching effect tonight." Megumi glared at him as he grinned. "You're_ much _prettier than Carmen." Before she could think of a response, she'd been ushered into the car.

Hikaru and his date were both absorbed in their phones. "Hey Megumi," Hikaru said without looking up.

Kaoru looked pointedly at his brother for a moment, and then sighed loudly. "Megumi, this is Kamigamo Nanako, an old friend of ours. Carmen, I'd like you meet Hisakawai Megumi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kamigamo said, smiling. Her phone buzzed, and she looked back down, huffing a little with laughter and typing rapidly. "So is she your girlfriend, Kaoru?"

"I don't believe there's been any kind of formal announcement on that score," Hikaru said, glancing up briefly and kicking his brother lightly in the shin. Kaoru rolled his eyes and pulled his own phone out, sending a quick message.

"I was unaware anyone made formal announcements of a relationship status unless it was an engagement," Megumi said tartly.

"Still," Kaoru said, squeezing her hand lightly. "It's a good point. I'm going to be introducing you to people tonight. What do I call you?"

"My name might be a good place to start."

"Come on, Megumi. You know how people are. They'll press for more. Are we just friends? Are you my paramour? Or are we working out some kind of business alliance?"

"Are we seriously having a _define-the-relationship_ conversation right now? In a limo with your brother and his date?" she hissed, trying desperately for a modicum of privacy. "And also—_paramour?_"

"Well, it's certainly nicer than fuck-buddy. My special friend? Girl whom I'm dating? My inamorata? Funny, I could have sworn there was another word that's slightly more appropriate." Megumi favored him with an exceptionally ill-tempered glare as Kamigamo obviously tried not to laugh.

Hikaru kicked his brother again, a little more sharply. "Any reason Jen just warned me against being an epic asshole tonight?"

"Big brother, if you're going to be playing provocateur, I see no reason not to loop her in. She's clearly the only person you actually listen to these days."

Kamigamo shook her head, finally putting her phone away. "You two are as ridiculous as ever, you know that? Just introduce her as your girlfriend, Kaoru. You're hopelessly obvious about it. And Hikaru, you'd better not be on the phone with _your_ girlfriend all evening long. You asked me to be your date, so I expect some attempt at conversation and dancing."

"I asked you to be my date specifically because you're married, you know. That way I wouldn't have to deal with any kind of weird pressure."

"I'm married, not a piece of furniture. Don't be so rude."

Kaoru angled his body toward Megumi, doing his best to block out the other two as they continued bickering. "I was only kind of joking," he said in a low voice. "I know some of the guests will be parents of current students at Ouran. If you're more comfortable playing this cool tonight, I'm fine with that. I know how important your professional image is to you."

Megumi smiled at him, brushing a stray lock of hair off his forehead. "That's true, but I don't see that there's anything unprofessional about attending a benefit with my boyfriend. Do you?"

"No," he said, squeezing her hand again. "No, there's really not."

They were silent for the rest of the ride, listening to Kamigamo and Hikaru trade good-natured insults.

"So, the whole gang is going to be here tonight?" Kamigamo asked as they were walking into the main ballroom at Ouran.

"Of course," Kaoru said, his hand warm and comforting on Megumi's back. "This project, expanding the scholarship program, is one of milord's babies. There's no way we wouldn't throw our weight behind it 100%."

"Especially considering the program is how you all met Haruhi?"

"I'm fairly certain Ouran is still full of 'damn rich bastards_'_ who could use a little commoner wisdom into their lives," Hikaru said. Megumi couldn't tell whether or not he was joking.

"You sure seem to have developed a taste for it," Haruhi said from behind them. Hikaru just grinned at her and kissed her cheek. "Come on," she sighed. "Everyone's over here." She led the four over to a large table towards the front of the room where the rest of the Host Club was gathered.

Amid the flurry of greetings, Kamigamo paused and looked around. "Where's Ootori and Suoh?" she asked, frowning.

"Tamaki's off pressing the flesh," Haruhi said, lowering herself into a chair. "He'd better not rope me into it, though."

"And Kyoya's giving his wife a tour of the school," Huni said helpfully. "She's American, you know."

"But that was a while ago," Haruhi frowned. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

Megumi saw Hikaru and Kaoru exchange a glance, but she wasn't sure what it meant. "There they are," she said, catching sight of the couple in question as they came into the ballroom via a small side entrance. Ootori was leaning down and whispering something in Laney's ear, and Megumi could see her starting to laugh before she caught sight of the rest of the group. She shook her head and tugged her husband forward.

"Megumi!" she said when she got closer. "You look gorgeous!" She kissed her on the cheek.

"So do you," Megumi returned the compliment.

"Yes, you're positively glowing," Hikaru said.

"Plenty of exercise will do that," Kaoru joined in.

"But what kind of exercise could our erstwhile senpai and his lovely wife have been engaging in?"

"I'm certain I have no idea."

Laney blushed while Kyoya glowered at the twins. "Careful," he warned, but Hitachiins paid him no heed.

"Kaoru, tell me something—back in high school, did you ever think it was going to be Kyoya who turned out to be the pervert?"

"I did not, Hikaru. I certainly did not."

"I think his time in America had a very deleterious effect on his morals, Kaoru. Maybe he should have just married Carmen and stayed here, safe and sound in Tokyo, instead."

"It might have been a safer choice, Hikaru."

Laney smiled and laughed, but Megumi didn't miss the sudden rigidity to her body, and evidently neither did Haruhi. "That is quite enough out of you two," she hissed. "Kyoya may be a pervert but at least he's not downright rude."

"Thank you for that rousing defense, Haruhi," Kyoya murmured, still looking daggers at the twins.

"Haruhi, Megumi, can one of you show me to the ladies' room?" Laney asked, not looking at either Hitachiin. "I'm afraid I'm still completely unfamiliar with this place."

"Come on," Haruhi said, putting her arm protectively around her. "Wait until I tell Tamaki about this," she muttered under her breath.

"I'll come too," Megumi said, Kaoru made a slight noise of protest, and she looked up at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you have something to say? It might be rather difficult to get it out, what with your foot so deeply in your mouth. I'll just give you a minute, shall I?"

As the three walked off, Megumi could hear Kyoya behind her, calm as ever. "Well, Kaoru, Hikaru. I certainly hope you didn't have your hearts set on any of the auction items tonight. You do realize your evening just got considerably more interesting, don't you?" Both brothers immediately started defending themselves, but Megumi ignored them, hurrying to catch up with Laney and Haruhi.

"You know they didn't mean it," Haruhi was reassuring her. "They're just idiots. They like to hear themselves talk, and they never bother to think about what comes out of their mouth. When they're together, they have absolutely no filter."

"I know." Laney said quietly.

"They wouldn't say something like that to anyone outside our group. They would never do that to you."

"I know."

"They're just …" she shrugged, looking for the right word.

"Assholes," Megumi supplied. "They're assholes."

Haruhi stopped and looked at her. "Yeah," she grinned. "They're assholes."

Laney finally smiled. "They're adorable assholes, though. Usually."

"When you're not on the receiving end?" Haruhi teased as they opened the door to the ladies' lounge. Fortunately, the room was empty, and the three relaxed, finally feeling able to speak more freely.

"They just hit on a bit of a sore spot," Laney admitted.

"What, the semi-public sex thing or the Carmen thing?"

"The Carmen thing. More specifically, the _maybe-Kyoya-should-have-married-a-nice-Japanese-girl_ thing."

"Well, then that description rules out Carmen," Haruhi said bluntly. Then, more thoughtfully, "No, that's not quite right. Carmen's great. You'll get a real kick out of her, Laney. But if the argument is that Kyoya would have been better off with a traditional girl, she's a rather horrible example to use. They may have had chemistry, but they wanted really different things from their lives."

"Not Carmen specifically. But just …" she trailed off.

"You're feeling very foreign tonight," Megumi said. "If it makes you feel any better, I feel pretty out of place, too."

"But you went to school here, didn't you?" Laney asked.

"Yes, but I never went to any of the big parties like this. My social group was considerably smaller, and for the most part, considerably less ambitious. I've lost touch with most of them, and the ones I've kept in touch with?" She shrugged. "Let's just say I doubt Chiyo will hesitate to remind me that I'm an employee of just about everyone in that room."

"You're an employee of Suoh Corp., not of the parents," Haruhi said heatedly. "They should be _thanking_ you for taking care of their children, not looking down on you."

"Chiyo," Laney mused. "Matsuda Chiyo?"

"Yes," Megumi turned to her, surprised. "You know her?"

"No. I guess Kaoru told Kyoya to warn me that she was—um, that she was here tonight. She's a friend of yours, yes?"

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know." She sighed. "Did you ever look at someone and realize '_Wow. This is a legitimately horrible human being, and I don't understand why we're friends?'"_

"No," Haruhi said at the same time Laney said "Absolutely." They grinned at each other, and Laney elaborated, "I remember going out to lunch with an old high school friend right before we moved here. I hadn't seen her in, oh, maybe four years?

She was telling me about another friend of ours, who was pregnant with her third. It was evidently a surprise pregnancy, but you know, shit happens, she's happily married, hardly the end of the world. But Hilary is going on and on about how this is such a huge mistake for this girl, because they didn't want any more kids, and he had been going to get his tubes tied, and now they're pregnant, so I said '_Well, it's not like they're getting a divorce or something.'_ And she says '_That would probably be a better scenario, actually.'_"

"No," Haruhi said. "She didn't really say that, did she?"

"Swear to God. You can't make that shit up." Laney turned back to Megumi. "So yeah, I totally get the whole '_holy crap, are you a psychopath and how did I not notice for so long'_ moment."

"I don't think I'd go so far as to call Chiyo a _psychopath,"_ Megumi said. "Just, you know, maybe kind of a bitch. She wants to meet you. She had a huge crush on Ootori—I think she still does."

Laney gave a genuine chuckle. "Yeah, Kyoya told me. I love my husband, but he can be a real stone-cold son of a bitch sometimes. I almost feel sorry for her."

Haruhi looked smug. "Sometimes I think I got the only decent man among them."

"Probably, but I think I prefer Kyoya when he's not decent." Laney quipped.

Haruhi held up a hand. "Please spare me the details. I don't want to go into preterm labor."

"Please. You're what, 36 weeks? You're all but term."

"Kaoru's not half bad," Megumi defended.

"Oh?" Laney asked, turning her full attention to Megumi. "Are we going to get details?"

Megumi blushed. "No details. But he's sweet. He keeps surprising me with how thoughtful he can be."

"He always was the more considerate of the two," Haruhi said, cocking her head to the side and studying Megumi. "But he was also the more emotionally reserved one, as well. Less willing to take risks."

Megumi caught the warning in Haruhi's voice. "I know," she said. "We're taking things slowly. We're trying not to rush into anything."

"So Kaoru spending four out of seven nights a week at your place is 'slow?'" Haruhi asked. Megumi stared at her.

Laney grinned and threw an arm over her shoulder. "Once you're a part of this group, there's pretty much no chance of keeping a secret," she said.

"Kaoru tells you guys where he spends his nights?" She couldn't quite believe it.

"Of course not." Haruhi took pity on her. "But Tamaki and I were talking with Hikaru yesterday, and he kind of let that slip. I _think_ the exact numbers were a guess, but evidently a good one."

"Five out of seven nights," Megumi admitted, blushing more strongly. "But we're not … we haven't …"

Haruhi put her hands over her ears. "Nothing personal, Megumi, but Kaoru is like a brother to me. Discussing his sex life ranks pretty low on my list of preferred conversational topics."

"Prude," Laney teased.

"Not everyone is quite as adventurous as you are, Laney," Haruhi returned with a smile.

When the trio exited the ladies room, the twins were waiting for them, leaning against the opposite wall. "We're sorry!" they chorused, each throwing an arm around Laney's shoulders.

"Really, we're sorry. It was a stupid joke," Kaoru said, sneaking a look over at Megumi. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, and he returned his attention to Laney. "We're idiots. Complete assholes."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Laney said thoughtfully.

"Oh come on, Lane. You know we didn't mean it," Hikaru said, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Everyone knows there is literally no one else on earth who could possibly put up with Kyoya."

Kaoru reached over and smacked his brother lightly upside the head. "Jackass," he hissed. "We're supposed to be making it _better_, not _worse._"

Laney shrugged out from under their arms, but she was smiling. Kaoru snuck another look at Megumi, she assumed to gauge her mood. She couldn't keep from smiling at him quickly before schooling her face into proper outrage. He made a show of exhaling in relief.

"Y'all _are_ jackasses," Laney was saying. "I'll forgive you, but you definitely owe me one. _Each._"

"And you'll tell Kyoya you forgive us?" Hikaru demanded. Kaoru sighed loudly.

"Oh honey. Sure I will," Laney said, her Virginia accent suddenly more pronounced. "For all the good it will do you. Coming, ladies?"

Megumi and Haruhi swept past the twins to join her. Megumi caught Kaoru's hand briefly, giving it a reassuring squeeze before joining the other two.

"We are _fucked_," she heard Hikaru say dismally.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to DomitiaIvory, Fallenlilly366, Mairelle, Mina416, OneDirectionLover18, carmengal, greenluvr14, and .75 for the favorites, and to Izzyboopers, Kirorokat, Mairelle, No-Time Lord, whenthesheepsaysbaa, and mutemuia for the reviews. You guys! It's been a month, and I apologize. It's been a crazy month, but things are mostly more settled now, and updates should be considerably more regular, particularly after Yom Kippur on Tuesday. In addition to thanking ALL you guys for all the support, I want to wish anyone who celebrates the sweetest of new years and an easy fast next week! L'shanah tovah!


	24. Chapter 24

Dinner had been pleasant, for the most part. Huni mostly alternated between talking to Mori and heaping more delicacies on his wife's plate. Hikaru and Laney traded good-natured insults until Haruhi finally threatened, in what was clearly becoming a standard threat, to go into labor if they didn't stop. Tamaki kept jumping up to greet various people, and Kaoru busied himself by whispering tidbits about them in Megumi's ear, growing more and more implausible each time. _Imemura Noriko has an entire room in her mansion devoted to banjos. Kazamu Shinobu owns an entire herd of camels in Australia because camel milk is going to be the next big thing in cosmetics. Takimoto Daisuke has hair plugs, but they harvested the hair from his dog. Fukuyama Taichi conducts experiments involving genetic manipulation on roses._

"Oh come on, Kaoru. You'll have to do better than that. Who on earth would bother trying to genetically manipulate a rose?"

"No, I swear. That one is actually true. He's trying to create a black rose. Reiko, back me up here."

"Fukuyama's been trying to create a true-black rose since college," Reiko affirmed. "The results have been less than spectacular, though."

"Who would want a black rose?" Megumi was bewildered.

"There's a market," Huni said, smiling fondly at his wife.

"Last I heard, he was trying to splice in some squid genes," Kaoru said.

"Really?" Laney looked a little starry-eyed. "Any luck?"

"Kaoru, how do you even know that in the first place?" Megumi asked.

"Lunchtime conversation with Kyoya is incredibly boring, that's how."

Laney turned on her husband, clearly hurt. "I can't believe you told Kaoru about that and not me."

Ootori sighed. "We happened to see him at a restaurant last week. It was a throw-away comment. I wasn't deliberately concealing his freakish experiments from you." But she was already leaving the table, making a beeline for where Tamaki and Imemura were talking.

Kamigamo laughed. "Honestly, Kyoya, I never would have predicted you'd wind up married to a nerd, but I guess it fits. Like attracts like, after all." She turned to Megumi. "Although I'm not so sure about you and Kaoru. You seem like the responsible type."

"Give it a rest, Carmen," Kaoru said. He stood up. "I need some fresh air before the auction starts. Megumi?" She took the hand he offered.

"Make certain you're back in 15 minutes," Ootori said, smiling. "I'd hate for you to miss any of the auction. I believe you had your eye on a few of the Kim Young Soo pieces. It would be a shame if anything prevented you from getting your hands on them." Kaoru ignored him, towing Megumi through the maze of tables toward the far side of the salon.

"Is he serious?" she whispered as they made their way past another table.

"Nah, he'll probably just drive the price up," Kaoru replied over his shoulder. "His bark is worse than his bite. Usually." He opened the double doors, and ushered her before him out onto the balcony. The air was heavy and sweet, redolent with the scent of night-blooming jasmine. Kaoru rested his forearms on the stone railing, looking at the campus below.

"Miss it?" Megumi asked lightly.

"No." He sounded almost surprised. "We had good times here. We've had better times since. I'm grateful for my years here, but I don't miss it."

"When you say _we_ …"

"All of us. The Host Club, in all our erstwhile glory." He looked at her seriously. "It wasn't just me and Hikaru, you know. We all went through some pretty profound shit in those years, trying to figure out who we were."

"I think everyone did, Kaoru," she said gently. "It's kind of a universal adolescent experience, you know." Then, remembering the days Tamaki was sequestered in his house during his senior year, she added, "Although some people did have a little bit more dramatic flair about it than others, I suppose."

He gave a small huff of laughter. "Tamaki, you mean? Milord never does anything by halves. Although, to give him credit, once he got things straight, they stayed straight. Unlike others I could name."

"I don't think it's that unusual to have to figure yourself out over and over again."

"You don't." He turned his back on the campus, leaning against the stone balustrade.

"I've spent my whole life on this campus, Kaoru. You think I have everything all figured out?"

"If you could do anything, anything at all in the world, what would you do?"

"Anything?"

Kaoru nodded.

"I'd love to do some work teaching underprivileged children. Maybe in Thailand, or Vietnam. Or maybe even here in Japan, although the need isn't quite as dire." She shrugged. "But I'm not qualified for it."

"Why not?"

"I've spent my whole life with the over-privileged. I don't know anything about how to relate to children in serious poverty."

"That's a lame excuse, Megumi," he said, sounding a bit stern. She looked at him, surprised. "You could learn. You're smart, you're compassionate, you're tough. There's absolutely no reason in the world why you can't pursue that dream."

"Are you calling me a coward?" she asked, laughing.

"Maybe?" He grinned at her, reaching out and pulling her close against his body. "I'm not exactly in a rush to see you go charging off to save the world, leaving me behind to decorate it. But if you have dreams, you shouldn't hold yourself back. I'd support you. You know that, right?"

"I know." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "But I'm only 28, Kaoru. There's no rush. And I have other dreams, too. Ones that can happen right here, in Tokyo."

His arms tightened around her. "Oh? Care to share?"

Megumi smiled up at him. "Maybe later."

He was bending to kiss her when Kamigamo appeared at the French doors. "The auction is about to start," she called to them. "Glasses won't let Hikaru leave the table, and he said if you left him alone in his hour of need he was never going to forgive you and he would make a sex tape and force you to watch it."

Kaoru sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "And you thought _Kyoya_ was ruthless," he said to Megumi.

"I made that last part up," Kamigamo said as they passed by her into the grand salon. "I can't believe you actually fell for it."

"Carmen, if I promised to reimburse you plus 5%, would you bid on the Kim Young Soo for me?"

She favored him with a withering glance. "I might not have married the way my father wanted me to, but I'm not entirely insensible to the concept of family duty. Which, in my case, rules out pissing off Ootori Yoshio's favorite son." She shrugged. "Plus, Haruhi told me not to."

"It was a _joke."_

"And a pretty stupid one. Me, married to Glasses? It positively sends shivers down my spine—and not the good kind."

"That's why it was funny."

"Kaoru?" Megumi looked up at him. "This is the part where a wise man would apologize and let the subject drop."

"Yeah, but think how _boring_ our lives would be if I were wise instead of interesting."

The auction went about as well as Megumi had anticipated. The whole table participated in the bidding, with the exception of Tamaki, who was helping to showcase each item on the block. Every time Hikaru or Kaoru bid on an item, Ootori drove up the price, smiling calmly all the while. He seemed to have a sixth sense for when the brothers were ready to give in, letting them take almost all the items they had bid on. There had been one piece by the Korean artist that Kaoru had been particularly enthusiastic about, but Ootori matched him bid for bid, until, with ill grace, Kaoru finally threw his paddle down. Hikaru lost out on a first edition of T.S. Eliot, and growled at Ootori. "I was going to give that to Jennifer."

"And now I will give it to her instead," he said, the infuriatingly smile never leaving his face. "Think of how happy she'll be! It warms the heart, doesn't it?"

Hikaru looked like he was going to argue more, but caught Laney's eye. She shook her head warningly, and, huffing, he turned his attention back to the auction.

Megumi hadn't been going to bid on anything; although she still had access to her family's money, she preferred to live off her teaching salary. But when a small seriograph came up on the block, she couldn't resist. It had golden poppies against a thickly forested background, and a small inset of a bird's nest with three speckled blue eggs. The colors, though muted, seemed to shine with a luminous intensity. She fell in love with it immediately. Kaoru had fidgeted uncomfortably when she raised her paddle. "I'd buy it for you in a heartbeat, but I don't think he'll let me," he whispered in her ear.

"He probably won't," Megumi said, not bothering to keep her voice low.

Ootori rolled his eyes. "I'm sure this isn't the only piece this artist has ever done, Kaoru. Buy her something another time." He put his paddle down on the table, nodding pleasantly at Megumi.

As Megumi raised her paddle, she caught a flash of motion from the other side of the room. Chiyo was also bidding on the print. She smiled at her, part of her happy that, despite the growing rift between them, the same piece caught both of their eyes. Chiyo smiled back, but there was no warmth in it.

The three others bidding on the piece dropped out quickly, and it was just Megumi and Chiyo. She started to get a little worried—Chiyo showed no signs of quitting, and the bidding was rapidly approaching the limits of what could be considered reasonable. Finally, with obvious regret, she laid her paddle down on the table.

Kaoru had been looking in Chiyo's direction, and didn't miss the flash of malicious triumph that crossed her face. He grabbed Megumi's paddle and raised it again before thrusting it into her hand.

"Kaoru! What are you doing? I can't afford this!"

"I don't care," he whispered through gritted teeth. "I'll give you the money. She's not going home with your seriograph."

"It's not mine yet—or at all, obviously," she protested. Kaoru poked her, and she obediently raised the paddle again. "You're just being petty."

_"I'm_ being petty?" He twisted around in his seat, glaring at Chiyo. "Look at her, and tell me she doesn't want this just for the thrill of taking it away from you."

Megumi turned and looked at her old friend. Chiyo's attention was focused solely on her, ignoring the seriograph on the block. She couldn't quite mask the rage that was clearly simmering under the surface. Megumi knew she must be furious at being outbid. Something snapped in her. "Fine," she said, swiveling back in her chair to look at Kaoru. "Tell me when you want me to stop."

He gave her a feral grin. "Honey, trust me. I'm pretty sure I have a _lot_ more money than the Matsudas."

"It's actually not even comparable," Ootori put in diffidently. "They're far more bourgeois than they'd like to admit. You'd bankrupt them before noticing anything more than a slight strain on your pocket." He looked at Megumi. "And if by some remote chance Kaoru hits a ceiling, I'll back you."

Megumi gaped at him, shocked.

"Kyoya doesn't like anyone messing with his friends except him," Huni said smugly. "It's a big no-no."

Kaoru poked her again, murmuring "Focus." She raised the paddle.

After trading bids back and forth for another five minutes, Kaoru shifted restlessly. "This is getting boring," he said, bending low to Megumi's ear. He whispered a number that made her eyes widen.

"Kaoru, that's obscene!"

"Good," he said, stretching his legs out. "She deserves a little _fuck you _for this bullshit." He gave her an encouraging nod, and, hestitantly, Megumi raised her paddle and announced her offer. It was met with dead silence from Chiyo's corner of the room.

"Don't look at her," Kaoru advised, even though she was dying to see Chiyo's face. "Don't give her the satisfaction."

As the auctioneer announced Megumi's win, Hikaru lifted his phone up and snapped a picture. He handed it to Megumi. Chiyo's face, contorted with rage and jealousy, filled the screen. Megumi felt a little sick. "She's going to be furious with me," she whispered.

"So?" Haruhi spoke up. "All you did was buy a painting you liked."

"Seriograph," Hikaru corrected.

Haruhi ignored him. "She can't reasonably be mad just because you outbid her when she was trying to do the same thing to you."

"I'm not sure reason has a lot to do with it," Laney observed, looking at Chiyo.

Haruhi made an impatient motion with one hand. "Of course it doesn't. But you shouldn't let it bother you, Megumi. Don't let her make you feel guilty."

Kaoru put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her in close to him. "You have better friends now, honey. People who actually give a damn about your feelings."

"It's not that." Megumi shook her head. "Chiyo and I have been friends since preschool. It's not easy to throw away a friendship with that kind of history."

Kaoru pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "I'm sorry. If you really want to try to keep this friendship, I'll support you. But I think you need to ask yourself some serious questions about what both of you get from this relationship."

"You can look back at the friendship you shared when you were young with gratitude and nostalgia," Mori rumbled unexpectedly. "Just as the problems you have with Matsuda now don't cancel out the happier times you had when you were children, those years don't cancel out the disrespect she showed you tonight. If she doesn't show a willingness to change her behavior, you're better off leaving your friendship in the past."

"Thanks, Mori." Megumi tried to surreptitiously wipe tears from her eyes.

"Besides, there is literally nothing you can say to convince me that we're not _way_ more fun than she is," Hikaru said, lightening the mood. "I bet she never once played a prank that scared someone so much they slept with the lights on for over a week."

"Hikaru!" Megumi pretended to be aghast. "That's not fun, that's horrible!"

He shrugged. "Milord's an easy mark. Besides, even Haruhi thought it was funny."

Megumi looked at Haruhi for confirmation. An unwilling smile played around her lips. "Well," she prevaricated, "I wouldn't say _funny_, necessarily. But on the other hand, it is hard to muster up an excess of sympathy for someone terrified of a Centipede Ghost."

"Good times," Kaoru reminisced. "Good times."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much to xKANAN, No-Time Lord, FinalFantasyCrazedGirl01, Guest, Kirorokat, Smokingsomething, and Mairelle for the very kind reviews, and to Alpacarama, Ergelina, FictionalAffluency19, FinalFantasyCrazedGirl01, GidgetCyon, I am a male reader, and cathyisapotato for the favorites. You guys are 50 shades of awesome. OK, I am TOTALLY no longer making promises that shall quickly be broken regarding update frequency. I forgetting how absolutely insane the beginning of the year is, particularly this year with the holiday season coming at the same time as the start of school (so many holidays!). I will say, though, that I had written myself into a corner and it took a while to figure out how to get out of it. I think the rest of the story is laid out pretty clearly now, but that's also what I thought at the beginning of September. What I can promise is that I will keep plugging away and trying to trim this story into something people actually want to read. As always, your feedback is invaluable in letting me know whether this story works.


	25. Chapter 25

Megumi stifled a sigh. It was getting late, and Kaoru was across the room, deep in some kind of discussion with Hikaru, Mori, and two other men she didn't recognize. Chiyo had been sending her nasty looks all night. She was exhausted and ready for the night to be over. Suddenly, Ootori was in front of her. "Would you care to dance with me, Hisakawa-san?" Megumi wasn't particularly eager, but she couldn't think of a graceful way to refuse. At least it was better than sitting alone at her table, looking like an abandoned wallflower. She took the hand he had extended, and the two made their way onto the dance floor.

Ootori was an excellent dancer, which came as no shock. Megumi had him pegged as one of those people who didn't particularly bother with anything in which they did not excel. Waltzing with him wasn't actually unpleasant to start with, and it took several leaps forward into _rather enjoyable_ when she caught sight of Chiyo's envious stare. Emboldened, she decided to try her hand at poking the bear. "A little vicious tonight during the auction, weren't you, Ootori-san?"

"The twins needed a little reminder," he said seriously. "They forget that Laney doesn't have a decade and a half of history with us, the way Haruhi or even Reiko do. She doesn't know all the inside jokes and old stories yet."

"I haven't known her very long, but I have the feeling she is more than capable of putting them in their place herself."

Ootori gave a small huff of laughter. "No doubt. But she knows it gives me a bit of a masculine thrill to do so on her behalf, so she very sweetly lets me act the caveman now and again. Besides, the money is all going to a good cause, and the Hitachiins can easily afford the hit."

Megumi looked at him, considering. He was being extremely good-natured with her tonight, far more so than she'd ever known him to be. _Clearly there is another shoe waiting to drop,_ she thought.

"You and Kaoru have become very close, it seems," he said after a few moments of silence.

_Ah. Here we go._ "Is this the part where you interrogate me concerning my intentions, assuming that since you've opened up to me I'll feel an obligation to be more forthcoming with you?

He looked at her, surprised. He covered it quickly, smiling at her. "Touché, Hisakawa-san. A palpable hit.

"We're all powerful figures, you realize. On the social scene, yes, but that's incidental. The Suoh, Ootori, and Hitachiin families alone represent a not insignificant portion of Japan's GDP. Your family? Not so much." His hand on hers had tightened; not enough to hurt, but enough that she was in no doubt it was intentional.

A fine trembling had spread through Megumi as he spoke. She fought down a wave of rage, willing her voice to be steady. "Do you have a point?"

"A suspicious person might wonder whether your attraction to Kaoru stems from his family name, rather than from his personality."

"And a smart person would trust his friend's judgment. He's not stupid, you know. In fact, he reads people better than almost anyone else I've ever met. I seriously doubt I could fool him."

He nodded once in acknowledgment. "If you try to bring him down or ensnare him in anything, things will go very, very badly for your family."

"Ootori-san. Look at me. If I had an unquenchable thirst for money and influence, do you really think I'd be an elementary school teacher?"

"I have no comeback for that one," he admitted. The music had ended, and she caught sight of Kaoru, clearly looking for her. Ootori looked over and saw him as well. He neatly tucked Megumi's hand into the crook of his elbow, preparing to escort her over to her date. "Hisakawa-san." In any other man, his tone could be described as hesitant. "He deserves to be happy."

"Yes," she agreed, lifting her chin defiantly, "he does."

Kaoru came towards them, smiling; if he had noticed anything off in their interaction, he evidently had chosen to ignore it. "Having fun?" he asked Megumi warmly.

"Of course," she replied politely, conscious of Ootori still at her side. "Ootori-san is an excellent dancer."

"As are you, Hisakawa-san." Evidently Ootori was back to his polite façade. "But now I think I'd better rescue my wife." He indicated Laney dancing with Tamaki, who was talking to her with great intensity.

"Haruhi and Reiko took refuge in our old room," Kaoru informed him. "I was just about to ask Megumi if she wanted to join them while we close this out." At Megumi's soft sigh, he looked down at her and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, babe. Leaving early isn't an option tonight."

"I wish you'd mentioned that when you asked me to come," she griped.

"I'll let Laney know," Ootori said, walking away. Megumi looked thoughtfully after him.

"What?" Kaoru asked, picking up on her mood.

"Nothing," she said. "It's just … does he ever actually just come out and say what he's thinking?"

"Kyoya?" Kaoru looked after him. "Once in a blue moon. Why? He didn't say anything rude to you, did he?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest."

Kaoru's shoulders hunched up. "He can be such an asshole sometimes. I'll talk to him."

He started after Ootori, but Megumi tugged him back. "No, it's fine. He was just trying to look out for you."

"I'm a big boy, Megumi. I can look out for myself."

"That's what I told him."

Kaoru relaxed again, putting an arm around her shoulders and hugging her close. "You're perfect, you know that?"

"I'm exhausted, is what I am."

"You remember where Music Room 3 is? Top of the south wing, end of the northern hallway."

"I work here, remember?" she said testily. "Should I wait for Laney?"

"Probably. She has no sense of direction at all." He caught sight of Hikaru beckoning him from the far side of the room. "Shit, I've got to go over there. Tamaki asked us to tag team Ichijo Tsubaki and see if we can't get her to soften up a little." At Megumi's questioning look he elaborated, "She evidently feels that allowing more than one scholarship student per grade level will dilute the socially elite composition of the student body to unacceptable levels. You know the Ouran motto: Breeding first; money a close second."

"She sounds delightful," Megumi murmured. "Go, soften. You'll come get me when you're done with all this?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away." He grinned cheekily, kissing her swiftly before moving off to join Hikaru.

Megumi moved to the side of the room, waiting for Laney to join her. Rather than rescuing his wife, it seemed Ootori had gotten dragged in to the discussion. Tamaki and Laney were both chattering animatedly, while Ootori closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. Megumi chuckled to herself. _Serves him right_, she thought.

"Well. I suppose I ought to congratulate you on your winning bid," a cold voice said.

"Hello, Chiyo," Megumi sighed, turning to face her old classmate. "Thank you; it was a unique piece, and I'm really looking forward to enjoying it."

"No doubt Kyoya rigged it in your favor."

"Why would he do that?" Megumi took in the bitter expression twisting Chiyo's face. She felt a small piece of her heart chip off. _We were such good friends once. Best friends. What happened?_ "And _how_ would he do that? The highest bid wins. It's for charity. There's no rigging."

"Then how did you get that kind of money?" Chiyo was flushed with anger.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Megumi replied.

"Don't think I don't see what you're doing."

"Buying art?"

"Befriending him, sitting at his table, _dancing_ with him. I'm not blind, you know. I'm not an _idiot_. You can't hide it from me."

"I haven't tried to hide anything from you, Chiyo. The plain truth is that you haven't really paid attention to me in years. I'm sorry that my relationship with Kaoru came as a shock to you, but you have no one to blame but yourself."

"Not him!" she hissed. "_Kyoya!"_

Megumi stared at her. _Wait. She can't possibly think I'm interested in _Ootori, _can she? _"Are you insane?" she asked bluntly. "His _wife_ is my _friend._ Where you even getting this from?"

"His wife? Please. She's nothing more than a trashy, status-seeking American _hafu_."

"I'm sorry?" Laney came up behind Megumi. _Busted._ "I hate to come into the middle of a conversation, but I had the oddest sense you were talking about me. But surely I'm mistaken."

Chiyo paled, but plunged ahead. "Everyone knows you only married Kyoya because your family's business was failing and his father forced him to bail you out." Some part of Megumi had to admire her commitment. _In for a penny, in for a pound. That was always Chiyo._

"Oh honey, bless your heart," Laney said in English. Switching back to Japanese, she continued in a whisper, leaning in close to Chiyo. "I married Ootori Kyoya for one reason, and one reason only. He is _phenomenal_ in bed." She smiled coquettishly, then turned to Megumi. "Shall we?"

The two women walked out of the room. Megumi resisted the urge to look back. She was done with Matsuda Chiyo. At her side, Laney was practically vibrating with suppressed rage. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I probably shouldn't have said that, should I?"

"She had it coming."

"The merger between our companies was mutually beneficial," she seethed. "And I would have married him even if it wasn't."

"I know that, Laney."

"This _country_ sometimes!" Laney stopped. "Tell me it's not just me, that I'm not losing my mind."

"It's not just you," Megumi reassured her. "But Japan is changing. Our society is changing, opening up. Don't judge everyone in that room just because Chiyo is a miserable bitch."

Laney pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes for a minute. "I'm sorry. I just _really_ miss home sometimes."

Megumi waited until she'd gotten herself under control. "What was that you said in English to her? Some kind of blessing?"

She laughed. "_Bless your heart?_ That, my friend, is Southern for _fuck you._ Start it off with an _oh honey_ and it is elevated to _fuck off and die._"

"But it sounds so _kind."_

"Well, it can be that too. It's all in the execution."

"That seems confusing."

"Because all y'all always come right out and say exactly what you mean?"

"I suppose you have a point," Megumi conceded.

Laney looked up and down the hallway. "Do you have a clue where we're supposed to meet Haruhi and Reiko? Kyoya said it was back in that music room, but I'm all turned around."

"Come on," Megumi said, knocking her shoulder lightly against her friend before setting off down the hall.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to Amandalucia, ChibiCheshire, Lorelai Sofia Petrova, Love'sPoison, Naomi Nara, and mika1617 for the favorites, and to Existiert Nicht, No-Time Lord, Fallenlily366, mutemuia, and Mairelle for the very kind reviews. You guys rock. Really. In the good news category, I actually have the next chapter over half written, and I'm hoping to get that up before Thanksgiving. And although this chapter was delayed by a huge amount of _tsuris_ in both my life and in the world at large, I did manage to get up a one-shot fluff piece about Kyoya's wedding night. If you'd like to check it out, it's called "All The Things You Are."


	26. Chapter 26

When they reached Music Room 3, Megumi and Laney found Haruhi and Reiko standing in the middle of the room. "Oh good," Haruhi said, looking relieved. "Laney, can you direct us to an area that you and your husband did not defile earlier this evening?'

Laney rolled her eyes. "Good lord, Haruhi. We're not completely indiscrete. Stay away from the third alcove on the right if you're so concerned about cooties."

"I hope you called in an upholstery cleaner for the couch," she grumbled in return, lowering herself into a over-stuffed chair. She winced and rubbed her stomach.

"Because that would surely be the first time anyone has had sex in this room, right Haruhi?" Reiko put in sweetly.

Haruhi blushed, then gasped.

Laney gave her a sharp look. "How long has that been going on?"

Haruhi shook her head. "Just for the last 10 minutes or so. I'm almost positive they're Braxton Hicks contractions."

Megumi went into the prep room and found a large bottle of water and a glass for Haruhi. When she got back, Laney and Reiko had moved Haruhi to a long couch, where she was laying on her left side. "Drink that," Laney nodded to the water Megumi held out, "and if you're still having contractions in half an hour I'm getting your husband."

"Stop being ridiculous," Haruhi grumbled, taking the water from Megumi.

"You do look like the baby has dropped," Megumi said. "I was noticing tonight."

"I'm not due for almost another month. There is nothing for you guys to be concerned about."

"They're not coming with any kind of regularity," Reiko said. "I've been keeping track."

"My sister had contractions for almost the last month of her pregnancy, and she still made it to full-term," Megumi said, refilling Haruhi's glass. Haruhi gave her a tired smile in thanks.

Laney kicked off her shoes and dropped into the chair Haruhi had vacated, although Megumi noticed she was setting a timer on her phone. "Well. That was an interesting evening."

"Rich people," Haruhi grumbled.

"Of which you are now one, and have been for a good few years."

"More than one person implied that I was the move behind this whole concept of expanding the scholarship program, so that, and I quote, 'more poor girls can snag a good husband just like you did.'"

"Still, it was nice to see some of the old crowd," Reiko put in diplomatically.

"Oh, it was," Haruhi agreed. "I'm sure this has probably inspired Tamaki to start planning a giant Host Club reunion for everyone."

The four of them continued to chat, exchanging light gossip about various acquaintances. Megumi was a little surprised at how relaxed she felt with the other three. _Has it really been that long since I hung out with a group of girlfriends?_ She thought back through the last several months, and realized it had. _I need to start making more room in my life for this._

By the time Laney's timer had gone off, Haruhi had finished off the water bottle and had graduated to sitting up. "Nothing for at least the last twenty minutes," she told them.

Laney opened her mouth to say something, but was distracted by the doors opening, and Huni and Mori entering the room. "We brought refreshments!" Huni announced happily, brandishing two bottles; one champagne, and one whiskey.

"Hooray!" Laney cheered, jumping up to take a covered plate from Mori.

Haruhi leaned close to Megumi, who was seated next to her on the couch. "What do you think's on that plate—chocolate or petit fours?"

"Reiko has a thing for dark chocolate, so I'm going with that."

They both turned out to be right. Laney helped Huni distribute the drinks, refilling Haruhi's water glass. Reiko also elected to go with water, but passed on the chocolate, instead taking a delicate apricot tart. Megumi looked at her appraisingly; Reiko caught her eye and smiled, giving a small nod. Megumi couldn't hold back a delighted grin.

"What's this all about?" Laney asked, noticing their interaction.

Huni sat down next to Reiko, taking her hand. "We were going to wait and tell everyone at the same time."

Understanding dawned on Laney's face, and she sprung up to give Reiko a hug. "Congratulations!"

"Who are we congratulating and why?" asked Hikaru as he came into the room, with Kaoru and Kamigamo close on his heels.

"Reiko and I couldn't figure out a good present for Tama and Haru's baby, so we just got her a future playmate instead." Huni said cheekily.

"What, like a puppy? Milord will be all over that, but I doubt Haruhi will be nearly as excited. Dog slobber all over a baby? Not your finest moment, Huni. Right, Haruhi?"

Kaoru elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "No, like a baby, dumbass."

"Really?" At Reiko's nod of confirmation, Hikaru laughed. "Holy crap, you two! That is the best news I've heard in months! When milord and Kyoya get up here we'll have to have a toast." He examined the bottles sitting on the low table. "Laney, what the hell is this rotgut?"

"Bite your tongue, Hikaru. The fact that your palate isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate a good rye hardly makes WhistlePig rotgut."

"Oh, I'm sorry, is straight bourbon not good enough for you?"

"Sweet, sweet, sweet, that's all you can think about. You ought to learn to like your liquor like you like your women."

"Bitter and aged? I'm not a fan of that in either my women or my liquor."

Kaoru sighed and slipped down to sit in front of Megumi. "That's enough, you two. Can you please have your unbelievably pretentious argument at another time that isn't right now?" He leaned his head against her knee, and Megumi ran her fingers through his hair. "God, that feels nice," he murmured to her.

"Tired?" she asked, letting her fingers dig into his scalp a little.

"I think all the nice, normal people left right after you girls came up here, and the only people we've been dealing with for the last 45 minutes have been the crazies."

"Poor baby," she smiled, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

Hikaru handed his brother a glass of whiskey with a generous splash of water before dragging another chair over. "Have a real seat, Kaoru."

Kaoru shook his head before tipping it forward to his chest, letting Megumi work on the knots in his neck. "You take it, Hikaru. I'm good here."

"I'll take it," Kamigamo said, moving from her perch on the arm of the couch next to Mori. "And I wouldn't say no to some whiskey, either, Hikaru."

"Here," Laney leaned forward from her chair to fix Kamigamo's drink. "Neat or with a splash?"

"Neat."

"A girl after my own heart." Laney passed over the drink with a smile.

"I'd imagine you'd need a strong stomach, being married to Glasses."

"Speaking of," Haruhi interjected, "any idea how much longer he and Tamaki are going to be?"

Kaoru shrugged, his muscle gathering and bunching under Megumi's fingers. "They were just wrapping things up when we left. But you know your husband—he's distractible." He looked around the room. "Hey, Mori. Where's your date?"

"Her brother took her home," he replied laconically.

"Rough luck," Hikaru replied sympathetically.

"Not really."

"Takashi only brought Kadano-san tonight because Satoshi wanted to bring her cousin," Huni elaborated. "And she wouldn't come if it meant leaving Kadano-san behind."

"Mori, if I break up with Jen again, will you be my wing man?" Hikaru asked.

Mori gave him a side-eye. "No."

The doors opened again, and Ootori and Tamaki came into the room. "You weren't there, Tamaki. Trust me, she is toxic," Ootori was saying.

"Who?" Hikaru asked, but Megumi had a sinking feeling she knew exactly who Ootori was talking about. She glanced over at Laney, who looked grim.

"Matsuda Chiyo," Tamaki said, squeezing in between Megumi and Haruhi. His wife sighed and leaned into his side. "She was telling people how awful Laney and Megumi are, and I just don't understand it. There must be some kind of misunderstanding."

Megumi felt Kaoru tense beside her, but before she could say anything, Mori looked up. "I heard her saying she would make sure the Hisakawa family would stop receiving invitations to events," he said. Her blood ran cold. For Chiyo to be angry at her was one thing. For her to organize people against her family was quite another.

"That is _it!" _Ootori snapped. "She wants to play with the big boys? Fine. Let's play." Still standing, he typed rapidly into his phone. "She's about to find herself unwelcome in just about every social setting. Country club? Done. Lunching with the ladies? Over. And her husband is going to find out just how small his sphere of influence actually is."

"Please stop," Megumi interrupted him. "Don't do this."

"I'm not in the habit of allowing people to threaten my friends and insult my wife." Ootori didn't even look up. "And if you're saying you feel sorry for her, you clearly haven't heard what she's been saying about you."

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I don't want to start a war."

"You're not starting one. I am. And I finish what I start."

"Kyoya." Kaoru's voice was stern as he stood up. "She said no."

The room was silent as the two men looked at each other. Finally, without breaking eye contact, Ootori said "Laney?"

Laney leaned back in her chair. "The best way to fight something like this is not to engage, Kyoya. You know that as well as I do, or you would if you hadn't lost your temper. And if the Hisakawas are suddenly cut by a few families? In spite of our friendship with Megumi? Don't tell me that kind of highly specific information wouldn't be useful to you."

Suddenly relaxed again, Ootori smiled down at his wife. "I knew I married you for a reason."

Kaoru sat down again at Megumi's feet, and she felt some the tension melt away. It had never been her intention, but her relationship with Kaoru and the resultant friendship with the people in this room did significantly increase her social cachet, and by extension, her family's. There was no real reason to feel intimidated by Chiyo. Still. "The country club idea might not be so terrible," she put forth diffidently. "I think she's been sleeping with her tennis instructor."

Ootori's grin was positively feral. "Not after I send this e-mail, she's not."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks to SophsShootingStar19 and WritingSoul for the favorites, and to Baka-Beka, Allymaeve, and mutemuia for the reviews. You guys, I really have to apologize-when I look at it, this chapter should've been included with the last chapter. There's no reason to break them up, which I did only because I wanted to get SOMETHING up on this site and I wasn't quite finished, and I feel like it stretches out an arc that didn't really need to be stretched out. If I ever go back and edit this whole damn thing, I would definitely condense these two chapters. Anyhow, I hope those of you who celebrate have a great Thanksgiving.


	27. Chapter 27

Rain pelted the windows of Kaoru's hotel suite, and he groaned, pulling the covers over his head. It was a little after 8 in the morning, and there was little more he wanted right now than to blow off his breakfast meeting and get a little more sleep. He'd been up until 2 am, networking—which in the world of high fashion, was typically done at late-night parties. He closed his eyes, starting to slip back into sleep, but was jolted out of his doze by Megumi's text alert. He snuck his hand out, feeling around for his phone. Once he'd located it, he brought it back into his nest to read Megumi's message.

-_How's the City of Light?_

-_Miserable. What are you wearing?_

-_Navy skirt, white blouse. Why?_

_-Seriously? Give me something to work with here._

_-I'm not wearing any underwear._

Kaoru grinned. _Really?_

-_No, not really. I'm still at school._

_-Way to ruin the fantasy, babe._

_-Next time, don't ask._

_-Next time, don't wear underwear._ He could imagine Megumi's face, that look she had when she wanted to be stern but couldn't quite keep the laughter from her eyes and the very corner of her mouth.

-_Well, what are you wearing? This works both ways, right?_

-_Boxers._

_-That's some prime fantasy fodder right there._

Kaoru couldn't help laughing. Megumi was always much sassier over text than she was in real life. It was a side of her that he loved to bring out. He thought a minute, then typed _-Stopped into a cupcake shop yesterday and had the lemon crème. Tart at the beginning, but then turned all soft and sweet. I can still taste it on my fingers. Just like you._

There was a long wait, and Kaoru started to wonder if maybe he'd gone too far with that last one.

-_Um. WOW. When do you get back again?_

_-Not soon enough. _He grinned, imagining the blush that would be spreading over Megumi's face and down her chest. –_You liked that, huh?_

-_ Hold on. Give me a minute?_

_-Take your time._ Kaoru wondered what she was up to. Maybe if he was lucky, she was taking a picture for him. He thumbed over to his e-mail, lazily deleting junk messages until Megumi had finished whatever surprise she had in mind. When the text alert sounded again, it was an attachment. "Megumi, you naugty, naughty girl," he murmured to himself, feeling a spike of adrenaline shoot through him. "What did you send me?"

When the attachment finally opened, Kaoru caught his breath. It wasn't a photograph at all. It was a drawing, clearly done in haste, barely more than a few lines. But the sheer eroticism of the image—a woman, naked, head thrown back in ecstasy, while a man, also nude, watched her—was all the more overpowering for the lack of detail. He wanted to print it out and frame it. He wanted to fly back to Tokyo, _tonight_, and turn the spare lines into reality. He was startled out of his thoughts by another text alert.

-_What do you think?_

_-I think I'm in love with you. _Kaoru looked at the words he'd typed, then erased them. That was probably not something he should tell her for the first time over text. He typed again. –_That is, hands down, the sexiest thing I have ever seen. Ever. _He could imagine her smile as she read this, a little slow, a little wicked. –_You could make a living selling those, but I'd really prefer to be the only man who ever gets to see your dirty thoughts._

-_I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. The likelihood of my quitting teaching to become an erotic artist is pretty much nil._

_-Sucks for the rest of the world,_ Kaoru typed. –_But by all means, feel free to continue sending me little drawings like this._

-_Think I'm going to have to burn that before anyone walks in here and sees me with it._

_-Don't you dare!_ _I'm serious, Megumi. Please keep it for me._

_-Relax, I won't burn it. But if it falls out of my bag and my sister sees it, I'm telling her you drew it._

_-You're seeing your sister tonight?_ Kaoru frowned. He hadn't met anyone from Megumi's family yet, and he was starting to wonder whether that meant anything. Maybe she wasn't as serious about him as he was starting to get about her. Maybe she was embarrassed?

-_Yes. She's probably going to give me hell, AGAIN, for not having met you yet._

He hesitated, then texted –_I'd love to meet your family, you know._

_-Really?_

_-Yes, really. You've met Hikaru, and my mom._

_-I've met your mom once, and that was hardly planned. I don't know—I guess I just didn't think we were at that stage yet._

He frowned again, wondering what that meant.

-_Kaoru? I didn't mean … can we talk?_

_-Maybe this is a conversation we should have face-to-face, okay?_ Kaoru felt his stomach start to knot up.

-_Oh. Okay. _A long, long, pause. _–No, you're right, that makes more sense._

"Shit," Kaoru swore fervently. "Shit, what the hell just happened?" He typed –_Have a nice time with your sister._

_-Thanks! You're coming back in three days, right?_

_-Right. Anything you want from Paris?_

_-Just you._ He read the message. Did that seem forced? Was she overcompensating for something? –_And maybe some fancy soap?_

Despite his worry, Kaoru laughed. –_Fancy soap. Got it. I've got to sign off. Breakfast meeting in 20._ He hesitated, then added –_Miss you._

_-Miss you too._

"Fuck!" he swore again. Putting his phone on speaker, he called Hikaru while getting dressed.

"Kaoru! How's Paris?" his brother answered.

"What does it mean when a girl says you need to talk?" he asked without preamble.

"Usually nothing good," Hikaru said. "What's going on?"

"I told Megumi I wanted to meet her family, and she said she didn't think we were there yet, and that we should _talk_." He pulled on a pair of dark slacks. "Should I be worried? I should be worried, right?"

"Calm down. First of all, are you going to make your breakfast meeting with Pierre, or should I have someone call him to reschedule?"

"Wow, Hika, look at you, all business-oriented and shit."

"Kaoru."

He sighed, flipping through his shirts. "Hang on." He quickly texted Pierre Hénin, letting him know he was running no more than 10 minutes behind. Fortunately the meeting was just downstairs. "Okay, taken care of. Now can you please concentrate on this for me?"

"You guys still haven't had sex yet, have you?" Hikaru's sounded amused.

"I should _never_ have told you that."

"Maybe she thinks you're not taking things seriously," he suggested. "I mean, you've been dating for what, six weeks? Give or take?"

"About five. I don't know. That doesn't seem like a long time. Maybe it is too soon to meet her family," Kaoru felt deflated. "You think the sex thing is an issue?"

"The sex thing is _always_ an issue," Hikaru said. "If you're not willing to commit, can you blame her for thinking you're not willing to _commit?_"

"It's not like I'm leaving her _unsatisfied,_" he replied, a little stung. "And I'm totally willing to commit. I'd _love_ to commit."

"To sex?" Hikaru whispered suggestively through the line.

Kaoru wished he was in the room with him, primarily so he could smother him with a pillow. "Taking things slow is not the same as not committing."

"But five weeks? Seriously?"

"I know." He sat down, buttoning up the plum silk shirt he'd finally decided on. "But it's like … I said I didn't want to go there, because I wanted to get to know her first. Establish an actual relationship."

"Sounds pretty fucking stupid to me, but you do you, Kao."

"So now," he sighed in frustration. "How do I kind of … move things along?"

"Well, when a man loves a woman _very much_—"

"I'm not asking for mechanics, asshole."

"Kaoru, you think too much," Hikaru said. "Just tell her how you feel. Tell her you want to move things to the next level, and ask her what she wants."

"I think I'm in love with her," he said seriously, leaning his forehead against the cool glass of the window. "Is that creepy? We haven't had sex, I haven't met her family, she's barely met mine. That's creepy and too fast, isn't it?"

"The heart works on its own schedule, Kaoru," Hikaru's voice had turned gentle. "Look, when you get back, why don't you guys take some time—go away for a long weekend or something. And until then, don't stress out, okay?"

"Okay." He looked at the clock on his bedside table. "Shit. I have to go. Do me a favor—can you grab dinner with her tomorrow or something and just feel things out for me?"

"I can't. I promised Mom we'd look at some portfolios tomorrow night and decide who we want to use for the September show in London."

"Maybe I'll ask Laney."

"Kaoru. Stop it. If you're really that worried, just call her."

"Laney?"

"No, Megumi, you idiot."

He sighed again. "Yeah, but I don't want to be a crying, depressed mess for the rest of the time in Paris if she's planning on breaking up with me."

"She's not going to break up with you," Hikaru said confidently. "Now get your ass downstairs for that meeting. And stop obsessing." With that, he hung up.

Kaoru picked up the phone, and pocketed his wallet and room key. Walking down the hall, he texted Megumi. –_We're okay, right?_

But he didn't get an answer.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much to Lilemaus, CinnamonTroll, Likes, Fallenlily366, Sad rad fish, FinalFantasyCrazedGirl01, Beaker77, Mairelle, and mutemuia for the reviews, and to Almathia, CinnamonTroll, Lilemaus, Terri'smind, person2309, and 13 for the favorites. Really, there aren't words to express how encouraging your support and feedback is. This chapter was (extremely loosely) inspired by the song "Chelsea Hotel #2"-less the words than just the feel of the song, half plaintive and half playful. I've been on such a huge Leonard Cohen kick lately, but that one always makes me want to cry, thinking of how bright and beautiful and terribly, terribly young Janis Joplin was. Oh well. No one is dying in THIS fic, so I guess at least there is that. With all the crap going on in the world, it is a downright relief to escape into writing this little story, where the biggest problems are romantic misunderstandings. Stay safe out there, y'all.


	28. Chapter 28

The restaurant where Megumi was meeting her sister was almost empty. _Not surprising, since it's barely 5 pm,_ Megumi thought. She didn't know why she'd bothered to get here on time; Erina was perpetually late. She took a sip of wine, toying idly with the stem. _Why do I always find myself waiting around for other people to decide what they want?_ She felt unsettled after her text conversation with Kaoru, and she wasn't sure she could quite pin down exactly why. She pulled out her phone to re-read what they had written, but before she could call it up, Laney's number flashed on the screen as the phone started to vibrate. "Hello?"

"Oh good, I'm glad I caught you." Laney sounded excited, which wasn't anything particularly out of the ordinary. "Listen, Kyoya and I are at the beach, and we wanted to ask everyone to come down and join us for the long weekend. Are you in?"

_A weekend with Ootori?_ "Well, Kaoru's due back from Paris on Friday," Megumi hedged.

"Right, but Hikaru figured the two of you could meet Kaoru as he's getting in at Narita and then the three of you could take their Cessna down here. Please, Megumi? If you don't come it's going to be me stuck with the boys, because neither the Suohs nor the Haninozukas are coming." Her voice had turned pleading. "I'm not sure I can make it through a weekend with Kyoya and Hikaru sniping at each other. Mori doesn't exactly provide much of a buffer."

"Why don't the two of you just have a romantic getaway by yourselves?"

"We're down here for about 10 days, and for some reason, Kyoya is absolutely insistent that we invite the gang for the weekend. There's no reasoning with him when he gets like this."

"That's strange," Megumi remarked, taking another sip of wine.

"I've been on his case about work-life balance; this is probably payback. Although he's not usually a cut-off-his-nose-to-spite-his-face type of guy." She sighed. "Whatever. He usually can't resist gloating, so I'm sure I'll be enlightened at some point this weekend. You're in, right?"

Megumi hesitated; she'd wanted some privacy to try to straighten things out with Kaoru. _But it's probably all in my head anyways,_ she thought. "Sure. As long as it's okay with Kaoru."

"Please, like Kaoru could stand up to both you and Hikaru," Laney said dismissively. "I'll see you on Friday."

After saying goodbye, Megumi hung up, shaking her head. _Why do I always let myself get talked into these things? _But before she could get too caught up in that train of thought, she saw her sister coming through the restaurant doors. She waved to get her attention, then filled Erina's glass from the bottle of Riesling on the table, bracing herself for the onslaught of her sister's trademark overenthusiasm.

"Darling, look at you! You look wonderful! Did you lose weight?" Erina swept down upon her little sister, kissing her on both cheeks before settling into her seat. "You got wine, you angel."

"I have not lost weight. In fact, I think I've gained a couple pounds this month."

Erina studied her over the rim of her wineglass. "You may have, but it looks good on you." She took a sip. "New boyfriend keeping you well fed, I take it?"

Megumi shrugged. "He likes to cook."

"A keeper, then."

"Maybe," she smiled. "He has his good points."

"When do we get to meet him?"

Fortunately for Megumi, the waitress picked that moment to take their orders. She quickly scanned the menu and ordered the kitsune soba. Erina dithered over the menu, trying to decide between the curry udon or the zaru udon. "Just get the zaru udon. You know you always spill the curry," Megumi finally intervened.

Erina smiled at the waitress. "She's right, I do."

Orders placed and drinks refilled, Megumi considered how to get the conversation off her love life. "So. How are the kids?"

"Perfect monsters, as usual." Erina's voice held all due maternal fondness. "Kazuhiro was sent home from kindergarten yesterday because he wouldn't stop singing 'Feed My Frankenstein.' I told Daisuke that this was completely his fault for forcing the children to listen to obsolete American rock, and that he'd have to be the one to take it up with the school."

"What did he say?"

"That Alice Cooper was hardly obsolete." She shook her head. "The nerve of that man."

Privately Megumi agreed with her brother-in-law, but she thought it would be prudent to keep that to herself. "And Hana and Yuriko?"

"Running me ragged to death. Yuri cries every single day when her brother and sister leave for school. I keep telling her she'll start preschool next year, but the only thing that wound up consoling her was setting up a pretend school in the playroom. She calls the nanny _teacher_ now."

"Precocious little thing."

"Yes, well, I'd feel much better about the situation if she didn't insist that her lessons consist almost entirely of learning how to braid her dolls' hair and making jewelry out of pipe cleaners and beads."

"She's practicing fine motor skills, Eri. It's exactly what a three-year-old child should be doing."

"You're the teacher—if you say so, who am I to argue?" Erina took another sip of wine, finishing the glass and pouring herself more. "But enough about me and the children. You're not getting out of telling me about him."

"What do you want to know?" Megumi took a sip of her own wine, trying to settle the nerves in her stomach.

Her sister looked at her critically. "Well. I guess the first thing I want to know is why you look all tied up in knots when I bring him up."

"When did you know you were in love with Daisuke?"

"Megumi. Do not change the subject."

"Humor me. I'm trying to figure something out."

"Hmm. Not by the wedding, of course. We were good friends by that time, but certainly not anywhere close to in love." Erina thought for a moment. "If I had to name a time, I guess it would be when I told him I was pregnant with Kazu. His whole face broke into this incredible smile, and right then, seeing him happier than I'd ever seen him at the news he was going to be a father, I just knew." She smiled to herself at the memory.

"And you've never doubted?"

"Loving him? No, I've never doubted that."

"But you've doubted other things?" Megumi pressed.

"Doubt isn't really the right word. Look, Megumi, every married couple has times when they look at each other and think _what the hell did I do with my life?_ And after ten years, the only people who don't admit to the occasional murderous impulse are dirty rotten liars. You can't live with another person without being driven crazy by them at times. Marriage can be hard work. You need to actively chose, every day, to keep that commitment.

"But it's worth it. Daisuke knows everything about me. He knows when to make me laugh and when to leave me alone. He's more than just my husband or my lover—he's my best friend. He brings me coffee every morning in bed, for the love of god! Do you know how many husbands do that?"

"It sounds very romantic," Megumi said drily.

"Romance is lovely, Megumi. But I'll take a man who is dependable over one who is romantic any day of the week."

_Dependable?_ Megumi thought for a minute. Kaoru was kind, and funny, and brilliant, certainly. But dependable? It was certainly not a word anyone had ever assigned to the Hitachiin twins. But hadn't Kaoru proven himself dependable? He was never more than 10 minutes late for a date without calling, always remembered her favorite coffee order, and had lately taken to keeping her tea stash stocked not only with her favorites, but with frequent exotic surprises. But then he went to Paris, and all of a sudden he was full of _why haven't I met your family_ and _we should talk but not right now please wait until I get back_ and _I will try to find your fancy soap but no promises_ and really, who has a breakfast meeting _every day?_ Hitachiin Kaoru certainly had the potential to be a fair master of the big gesture and the sweeping declaration, but when it came to substance?

"But dear, you've only been seeing this young man for what, a month?" Erina broke into Megumi's thoughts. "I know I just gave you the whole spiel about marriage being work, and sticking things out, but if you're having problems after a month, that's not a good sign."

"We're not having problems," Megumi said automatically. "It's just-we haven't even slept together. That's weird, right?"

"After a month? I'm not sure I'd classify it as _weird,_ necessarily, but it's clearly bothering you. What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know. He just wanted some time."

"He's not a virgin, is he?'

"No!" Megumi said. "I mean, I don't think so. No, of course he's not a virgin. He's 29."

"Didn't you see that article a few months back about how more and more men are virgins well into their twenties? Do you know for a fact he's had sex?"

"Well, no," she said slowly. "I mean, I asked him if there was anything going on with his brother, but that was just due diligence."

Her sister stared at her. "Is that typical for you? Checking to see whether guys have slept with their brothers?"

"Long story. They had this whole act going on in high school."

"So that's why you haven't brought this boy around to meet the family yet."

"Erina, if I really thought he'd been screwing his own twin brother in high school, do you really think I ever would have let him kiss me, let alone …" she blushed. "Well, never mind that. Let's just say I'm reasonably sure he isn't a virgin, okay? In fact," she suddenly remembered Kaoru telling her he had slept with previous girlfriends, "I'm sure he's not a virgin. I just think maybe he doesn't know what he wants."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Erina asked.

"Didn't we just cover that?"

"Not the sex thing. The what-he-wants-thing."

"I don't know." Megumi dropped her head, staring at the table. "When we first started dating, he said he wanted to take things slow, to try to, what was his phrase, _establish emotional intimacy before physical intimacy._ But we haven't really talked about anything related to that since. The pace of our relationship, or where it's heading, or anything like that. I'm trying to give him the time he asked for, but then he took this 10-day business trip to Paris, and it's just been … weird."

"If I give you some advice, are you just going to huff at me and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about?" Erina asked her.

"I haven't done that since I was 16."

"17, but no matter. Stop worrying about what he wants."

Megumi's head jerked up. "Excuse me?"

"Just stop it. You have no control over that, so don't worry about it. Instead, figure out what _you_ want. And when you've done that, _tell him_ what you want. And then ask him what he wants."

"Doesn't that seem …" Megumi trailed off.

"Direct? Yes, but that's the point. You've always been a little stuck inside your own head, and neither of you are mind readers, I can promise you that. Direct is likely the only way you have a chance of successfully navigating this."

"What if I tell him I think I'm in love with him and I can see a long-term future with him and he just laughs at me? Or pats me on the head and says that's not exactly what he had in mind?"

"Would not telling him make him feel any differently?" her sister pointed out.

Megumi shook her head wordlessly. The waitress came by with their food, and she poked halfheartedly at the tofu.

"So, are you?"

"Am I what?" She was starting to get a headache, and keeping up with Erina's jumps required more effort than she really wanted to exert.

"In love with him."

"Oh, I don't know." She took a bite of noodles, more to have an excuse to stop talking than from any real appetite.

"Megumi, you are impossible. Think back to how you felt before you started this little meltdown. If I'd asked you then, what would you have said?"

She slurped the noodle into her mouth, closing her eyes and thinking back. _Do I love him?_ She opened her eyes and reached down into her bag, taking out the drawing she'd done for Kaoru earlier this afternoon. She looked at it, remembering how she'd felt when she'd drawn it—the easy teasing between them, and the underlying desire to bring a smile to his face even though he was almost half a world away. About how it felt like a part of her was always with him. She looked back up at her sister. "Yes. I would have said yes."

"And you haven't told him this, of course."

"Considering I'm just working it out now?"

"So do you think there's a chance he's in the exact same boat you are, and the reason why things are weird is because the two of you are too busy obsessing over what hasn't been said to actually say anything yourselves?"

"That actually sounds like it could be right on the money," Megumi said slowly.

"Just talk to the boy," her sister said gently.

"He wants to wait until he gets back."

"Which is when?"

"It's what, Tuesday? He gets back mid-day on Friday, so two and a half days, really."

"If I asked you how many hours, could you tell me?" Erina smirked. Megumi flicked a small piece of soba at her, but didn't deny it. "So that gives you some time to really think about what it is you want. And I can't quite disagree with him that having a conversation like this is probably better done in person."

"What if we don't want the same things at all?" Megumi asked in a small voice.

"Then at least you'll know," her older sister said.

* * *

**Author's Note:** First of all, thank you so much to Somerandomguy01, moonlightclock, Jocy808, Likes, Mairelle, Chalice13, Lilemaus, mutemuia, Baka-Beka, and 21 for the reviews, and to AnUnreasonableDreamer, SmartOotori, Somerandomguy01, Uiiko, awkwardd, csd14ll, lovelyleftovers, and moonlightclock for the favorites.

Ya'll. December and January were a massive, horrific suck of illness, asthma, steroids, snowstorms, and tsuris I don't even want to get into. But snowstorms. For real, this chapter likely would have been up at least 10 days ago had the child not had what basically amount to a second winter break, with one day of school in two weeks. And he got sick in the middle of that one day, so he's basically had 8. 5 days of school the ENTIRE MONTH of January. Which really puts a cramp in my writing style. And then of course Gracie the Soulless Cat stared at me with her horrible empty eyes for a solid week before the snow melted enough for her to consent to go outside again. She blamed me, I could tell. Anyway, spring is (hopefully) just around the corner, and I'm really going to do everything I can to get this story finished before the spring holidays start up and I'm chained to my kitchen, making endless batches of hamantaschen and rendering schmaltz.


	29. Chapter 29

As Megumi studied him out of the corner of her eye, Hikaru kept checking his watch, chewing his lower lip meditatively. He'd called her a couple days ago, arranging to bring her to Narita airport to meet Kaoru as his flight from Paris arrived. They would then take the Hitachiin's private plane down to Okinawa. Kaoru's flight was running almost an hour late, but when Megumi had asked whether that would cause a problem with the Cessna's scheduled take-off time, he had just flapped his hand at her. "Don't worry about it," he'd said, then proceeded to stare at his watch for the fourth time in as many minutes.

She suppressed a sigh as he pulled out his phone and rapidly typed something in. Hikaru had been unusually distant ever since picking her up, mostly ignoring her in favor of his phone. At one point he had turned to her, demanding to know whether or not she'd planned to break up with Kaoru over the weekend. "I hadn't thought about it," Megumi had said, startled. "I don't think so."

"Good," he's said, returning to his phone. "That's good. That could be awkward."

"Well, heaven forbid we cause any awkwardness for you on your beach weekend," she'd replied a little acidly.

Hikaru hadn't seem to notice her tone, flashing her a distracted smile and saying, "That's the spirit."

Now, waiting for Kaoru to come off the plane, she debated coming flat out and asking him what was eating him up. But just as she was screwing up her courage to the sticking point, Hikaru gave a shout. "There he is! Finally!" She rose up on her tiptoes, scanning the line of people streaming past for a familiar head of reddish hair.

She'd just barely caught sight of him when he swooped down on them, dropping his bags carelessly at Hikaru's feet. "You are a sight for sore eyes," Kaoru sighed as he pulled Megumi into his arms. "And sore everything else. You smell nice."

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes. "So do you."

"I smell like 12 hours' worth of stale airplane."

"But under that, you smell like you, and you smell good."

For a moment, in his arms, she could forget the strange distance that seem to have sprung up between them and the butterflies that had been in residence in her stomach ever since her talk with her sister.

"Can't we find an empty bathroom or something?" His voice was husky.

"Tempting, but ultimately unsanitary, to say the least," Megumi responded, reluctantly pulling away.

"Lovely sentiment, kids, but we have someplace else to be." Hikaru embraced his brother swiftly. Megumi didn't fail to notice the barely perceptible relaxation of tension as the two embraced, and found herself smiling. Hikaru picked up the smaller of Kaoru's bags, leaving the larger one for his twin to carry. Kaoru rolled his eyes at his twin's back, but grabbed the remaining bag, slinging his free arm around Megumi's shoulders and pulling her in tightly to his side.

"Why's he in such a rush today?" he asked, but Megumi just shrugged, smiling happily up into Kaoru's face.

"Come on! We're going to be late!" Hikaru called back to them, picking up his pace.

"Late for what? Hika, I'm starving. You know they never serve anything edible on the plane. Can't we stop for a snack?"

"You remember how much food Laney and Kyoya always make at the beach. If you have a snack now you'll get fat."

"You're nowhere close to fat," Megumi reassured him when a stricken look crossed his face.

Hikaru strode rapidly through the airport, although he wasn't heading to the terminal where the private planes were. Megumi and Kaoru exchanged bewildered glances as they struggled to keep up. Suddenly Hikaru stopped short and turned sharply into the arrival area for a plane that had just come in from New York. Megumi heard someone shouting his name, and the next thing she knew a brown-haired woman was throwing herself at Hikaru.

"Now I get it," Kaoru said. Megumi looked up, the question evident in her face. "I hope you don't mind sharing the weekend with my brother's girlfriend," he told her.

The woman in question tore herself away from Hikaru, giving him one last kiss before turning to Kaoru. "You're looking good, Kaoru" she commented in English. "A little farther from the raggedy edge since the last time I saw you."

"Considering the last time you saw me I was struggling to replace two models who'd come down with severe food poisoning 90 minutes before they were supposed to be on the catwalk?"

"Fashion crises. If only I had my pearls on so I could clutch them." She laughed and pulled Kaoru into a hug. He rolled his eyes, but didn't resist.

"Let me introduce you to the real reason why Kaoru no longer looks like he's about to burn a building down on the slightest provocation," Hikaru's hands settled on the woman's shoulders. "Hisakawa Megumi, please meet my girlfriend, Shapiro Jennifer. Jen, this is Megumi, Kaoru's girlfriend."

Shapiro bowed carefully and then said, in heavily accented Japanese, "I'm very pleased to meet you, Hisakawa-san."

"You speak Japanese?" Megumi was startled.

"Not very well," she confessed.

"Bullshit," Hikaru announced, looking fondly at his girlfriend. "Jen is a polyglot."

"Japanese is a damn sight more difficult than Russian or Hebrew, Hikaru," Shapiro said in English. She smiled apologetically at Megumi as she switched back to Japanese. "I've been studying for about a year and a half now. But I'm never sure whether I'm saying anything correctly."

"You're doing great," Megumi said kindly. She was immediately rewarded by Kaoru squeezing her hand gratefully. Then something clicked. She grinned. "So this is why Ootori-san was so insistent that we join him this weekend?" she asked Hikaru.

"Yep. Laney doesn't know anything about it." He picked up Shapiro's bags. "We've been planning this surprise for about three months."

"Two months ago you guys weren't even _talking_ to each other," Kaoru pointed out, picking up his own bags.

"Then I guess it's a good thing we made up, isn't it?" Hikaru tossed over his shoulder as he moved out of the gate area. "Let's go. I'd like to get there before dinner, if possible. I'm starving."

"I'm going to kill him." Kaoru muttered under his breath. Megumi tried to take the smaller bag from him, but he tightened his grip on the handle. "You're okay with this?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Of course," Megumi replied, giving up on the bag.

He slowed down, intentionally lagging behind Hikaru and Shapiro. "No, really. We don't have to go down with them if you don't want to. I know things have been, kind of—I don't know. _Thingy_."

"Things have been _thingy._"

"Yeah." He stopped, frowning. "Or is that all in my head?"

Megumi ignored that for the moment. "Do _you_ want to go?"

He shrugged. "The amount of shit I'd have to put up with for bailing out at the last minute isn't exactly appealing. And to be honest, I could use a day or two at the beach, particularly if you've been thoughtful and packed some extraordinarily skimpy bikinis. But if you're uncomfortable with any of this …"

"Why would you think I'd be uncomfortable?"

"I don't know. It's not neutral territory?" Kaoru sighed. "Look, just forget I said anything."

The butterflies were starting to come back. "Things _have_ been _thingy._ It's not just you. But I still want to go. Just—maybe we do need some privacy to talk," Megumi said slowly. His face twisted up at that, and she said irritably "Will you stop that? I'm not going to dump you on some kind of bizarre triple-date-slash-mini-break with your brother and your best friend. Give me a little credit."

"Okay," he said quietly, clearly stung.

She immediately felt guilty. "Kaoru, I'm sorry. I'm just tired and out of sorts, and you know how grumpy that makes me."

"Forget about it. Let's just talk when we get there, okay?" He quickened his pace, catching up with Hikaru and Shapiro.

The butterflies in her stomach now felt like wasps, buzzing and insistent. _Why can't we just go back to the way it was before he took this damn trip?_ _Why did I have to say that and screw everything up?_ Megumi trotted after him, but he seemed oblivious to her presence dogging his heels.

As he caught up to Hikaru, Shapiro dropped back. "I hope I haven't made things awkward by meeting you guys here at the airport. I know you and Kaoru haven't seen each other for a while."

"Of course not," Megumi said distractedly. It wasn't even a lie—she didn't think things would have gone any better even if it had just been herself alone with the brothers. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. Hikaru and Kaoru have both told me so much about you."

Shapiro snorted. "That can't be good. Try not to judge me too harshly, yeah?" She looked ahead at the Hitachiins, their heads bent close together as they argued about the fastest way to get to the terminal where the chartered and private planes were. "Everyone just seems a little tense. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Megumi considered her. She'd always figured Hikaru would be attracted to sleek, sophisticated beauties, like the models he was surrounded by in his professional life. But Shapiro did not seem to fit that mold. Her brown hair was wildly curly, bordering on frizzy, and her nose was a little too large for her face. But her dark eyes were large and expressive, and she carried herself with an air of authority that Megumi envied, particularly at the moment. _Maybe not beautiful, but certainly striking._ She decided she'd probably like her. Still, that didn't mean she wanted to get into whatever was wrong between her and Kaoru with this woman _So I'll take the easy way out._ "To be honest, I'm a little nervous about spending the weekend at Ootori-san's house. I think he might dislike me," she said.

"Kyoya?" Shapiro seemed surprised. "I don't see why he would. Laney adores you, and anything that makes her happy is usually all right by him. Has he said anything to you?"

"Not exactly," Megumi hedged, remembering their conversation the night of the Ouran benefit ball. "But it just feels like he likes me less and less the longer I know him. It's usually the other way around, isn't it?"

Shapiro laughed. "You're at stage two, then." At Megumi's questioning look, she elaborated. "Stage one, he's charming. One might even verge on calling him debonair. Never says a thing out of place. As Laney's grandma used to say, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Stage two is when he starts to relax and let his inner asshole shine. He's a complete shit, but stage two has a great sense of humor, I'll give the boy that much credit." She smiled reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry if I were you; if you've gotten to stage two, it definitely means he likes you."

"Is there a stage three?" Megumi asked faintly.

"Kyoya Ootori is a mensch. Not a goddamn thing he wouldn't do for the people he cares about. You can trust him." She winked. "But don't ever told him I told you. He prefers people thinking he's a cold-blooded bastard. Dysfunctional little fuck."

"And what about Kaoru?" Megumi couldn't help asking. The other woman's assessment of Kyoya was so unvarnished; she wanted to hear what the American thought of Kaoru now.

"Kaoru?" Shapiro smiled warmly. "Kaoru's a doll. Even if he and Hikaru occasionally have trouble figuring out where one of them leaves off and the other begins."

"I don't think the case at all." _Certainly not for Kaoru, at least. _"It used to be, but they're not like that anymore."

"Maybe you'd know better than I would. You've known them since, what, high school?"

"We went to preschool together, although I never had anything to do with either of them until high school. And even then, we were hardly friends. But the difference between them from our first year of high school to our last was too obvious for anyone to miss."

"Hmmm." Shapiro looked speculatively at the two men ahead of them. "Did they really pretend to be sleeping together?"

Megumi just nodded, but she couldn't help chuckling a bit at Shapiro's obvious discomfiture.

Kaoru, obviously having heard the laughter, turned his head over his shoulder to look back at the two women. "Glad to see you two are getting along already." He smiled at them, and Megumi felt some of the tension release again.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ok, first some housekeeping. Thank you so much to Archangel305, Flowerchild23, KatherineHime, KilofriendofCharlie, LunaCorona, PepperCornPie, SublimeEchos, badasspanda, e-addi, fareyes, halyyy, missrevenge98, mythgirl7, mythsandships, redrosebird, skittlelover1998, twinlover5588, and wookiesujulove for the favorites, and to mutemuia, Somerandomguy01, lovelyleftovers, Jocy808, badasspanda, Chalice13, thumbelinarocks, and Guest for the reviews. You guys all rock!

And okay, I know it has been MONTHS since I updated. But I really do have a good excuse this time. On top of all the other regular complications of life, it turns out I'm pregnant. Which is WONDERFUL, but I've been super sick, between morning sickness (ha! and I say again, ha!) at all hours of the day, asthma kicking up (pregnancy can make it worse), and just general hormones creating too many emotions and too much brain fogginess to deal with any of it. But the hormones have their perks-I was watching Sixteen Candles last night and it felt like a religious experience. So what does this mean for YOU? I have a hard deadline now of when this story needs to get finished. There's only maybe 3-5 chapters left.


	30. Quick Note

OMG, you guys. Seriously. I wanted to drop y'all a note to let you know that I have not actually abandoned this story, despite all evidence to the contrary. It turns out that one of the least conducive things to actually finishing a story that a body can possibly do is to pack up her entire house while in her last trimester of pregnancy and move to a completely different part of the country, and then have a baby less than 6 weeks later. So, yeah. The good news is that the kiddo is FINALLY starting to occasionally nap on his own, so I can start to work on the final chapters here. The bad news is that my Office subscription has expired, and I am completely dependent on my husband remembering to access the code through his job for a 90% discount so I can access my freaking files again.

TL;dr? Look for an update sometime in February. Thanks, y'all, for sticking with the chicken on this one. The chicken being me. :)


	31. Chapter 30

The breeze was brisk off the ocean, smelling of brine and seaweed. It blew Megumi's hair into her face as she stepped out on the patio. Grimacing, she fished an elastic out of her pocket and tied her hair back before taking in the view. The ocean stretched out before her, waves rolling gently onto the shoreline that lay just a short walk from the house. The sun was low in the sky. _It's perfect, _she thought. _Someday I want to have a place like this._

"This abuts my parents' estate, so we effectively have triple the private beachfront we would have had elsewhere on the island," Ootori drawled from his seat at the patio table. He was typing rapidly on his laptop and hadn't bothered to look up.

Megumi turned, a bit chagrined to have forgotten her manners. "I'm sorry, Ootori-san; I didn't mean to disturb you. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Unless you can figure out a way to alter basic physics and make the coals heat faster, I'd say no," he responded, still absorbed in the screen. "

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she apologized. "I can leave you alone."

"No, that's all right." He shut the laptop and stretched his arms over his head before getting up and crossing to the grill. "I'm not such a terrible host that I'd chase you away from this view. Particularly not back into the house with the talkative trio in there. I'm assuming Kaoru is still asleep?"

Megumi nodded. Kaoru had opted for a bath and a nap shortly after arriving, and although Laney, Hikaru and Shapiro had initially tried to involve her in conversation, they eventually had gotten around to trading stories of common acquaintances in the States. After a while, Megumi had gotten tired of smiling and nodding, trying to pretend she was interested, and had instead volunteered to help Ootori set up the grill. He had disappeared outside with his laptop about two minutes after Kaoru left the room.

"Just as well," Ootori said. "There's something I've been meaning to discuss with you." He fiddled with the coals, turning them over and heaping them back up into a pile. "Both Kaoru and my wife have informed me that I was very much in the wrong regarding our conversation a few weeks ago. I believe the actual term Laney used was _epic asshole._ Kaoru also let me know that my actions were unnecessary in addition to rude. So. I hope you weren't offended."

Megumi had leaned back against the fence during this explanation, and was now gazing at Ootori in frank admiration. "You know what the fascinating thing is?"

"Do tell."

"You didn't actually apologize."

"Would you like me to?"

Taking a page from his book, she answered his question with one of her own. "Do you think you should?"

He turned to face her, barbeque tongs still in hand. "Do I think I should? Interesting question. Let's examine it, shall we?"

By this point, Megumi was fairly certain she was starting to recognize Ootori's quixotic sense of humor coming into play. "By all means."

"Did I say anything to upset you during that conversation?"

"Other than implying I was a money-grubbing whore, you mean?"

His eyes narrowed momentarily in appreciation of this sally. "I implied no such thing. Sadly, I have very little control over what you may have inferred. I regret if you misinterpreted my concerns for a friend's happiness."

"You directly threatened my family."

"And then, not two hours later, I also demonstrated a willingness to protect your family against the social predations of your former best friend. I rather think those two cancel each other out, don't you?"

"You directly threatened my family," she repeated. "So I'm asking again; Do you think you owe me an apology?"

"All right." He raised his tongs in a gesture of surrender. "I can admit when I'm wrong."

"Bullshit, Kyoya," Hikaru came out onto the patio, carrying two bottles of beer in one hand and a hat in the other. "You can admit when you're _caught._ Big difference."

"Either way. Megumi, I sincerely apologize for insulting you by implying your family would pay the price should your interest in Kaoru turn out to be pecuniary rather than romantic." He bowed slightly in her direction. "Mostly I was just curious to see your reaction," he added. "I didn't really think you were the social-climbing type."

"Our little Janitor Princess?" Hikaru gently pulled her ponytail, and Megumi stifled the urge to smack him for both the action and the nickname. "Please, Megumi has no interest in that sort of stuff. She'd prefer just to sit back and feel morally superior to us instead. Beer?" He offered one of the bottles to Ootori.

"Don't you think you should offer a drink to Megumi first? Tamaki would be so disappointed in you."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Honey, you want a beer? Or Jen's bringing some white wine out in a minute."

"I'll wait for the wine, thanks." Megumi debated whether she should point out that Ootori was now calling her by her given name without bothering to ask her permission or invite her to reciprocate.

"By the way, Jen brought this for you," Hikaru was saying, handing Ootori both the hat and the beer.

"_Delightful_." Ootori glared at the intertwined "NY" on the navy blue hat.

Megumi was taken a bit aback at the sudden display of temper. Noticing her reaction, Hikaru explained, "It's a Yankees hat. They're the New York baseball team—well, one of them—and Kyoya supports the Boston team, the Red Sox. They have a bit of a vicious rivalry."

"Jen's idea of a joke. Ha. Ha." Ootori said flatly. He looked from the hat his hand to the coals, and then back at the hat with an expression of regret. "I don't suppose I can burn it."

"How shockingly rude, Kyoya. Tamaki would be so disappointed in you," Hikaru mocked. "Also, Laney wants to know if you're ready for the meat. Logically it would seem to be the other way around, but I guess you two are kinkier than I thought."

"Neither funny nor original, Hikaru." Ootori scowled at the coals. "Still, keep it up and one of these days you are going to find a snake in your bed. Or something worse."

"I can let Laney know how much longer for the grill," Megumi began as she heard the patio door open behind her again.

"Oh, sit down and stop trying to be so helpful all the time," Hikaru said peevishly.

"Hey, that's no way to speak to my best girl," Kaoru said, his voice still rough with sleep as he slipped an arm around Megumi, craning his neck to check the grill. "Hikaru, go tell Laney the coals are ready. Kyoya, drink your beer and pretend you know how to relax. And you—" he nuzzled his nose into her hair—"sit down and stop trying to be helpful. This is supposed to be a vacation for you."

As Megumi relaxed into his side, she noticed how the other men also seemed to unwind in Kaoru's presence. It wasn't particularly surprising that he had that effect on his brother, but it was interesting to see how quickly he could defuse Ootori. _He can smooth people's rough edges so effortlessly,_ she thought. _I wonder how much of it came from living with someone as prickly as Hikaru, and how much of it is just Kaoru. It's one of the things I love best about him._ She felt a tingle of apprehension, remembering the tension that still lay unspoken between them. But then he smiled easily down at her, the breeze making his hair ripple and shine in the late afternoon light. _Get out of your own head for a minute, Megumi_, she thought, _and just enjoy yourself._

* * *

**_Author's__ Note: _**So this is less a chapter than part of a chapter, but lately I've been able to work in about 20 minute bursts, so I wanted to get SOMETHING up. There's really not very much left to this story at all, but time has been in ridiculously short supply. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with this story, and everyone who has followed and favorited and reviewed! I'd list you all, but the baby is like to roll off the bed any minute now. Just know you are so appreciated!


	32. Chapter 31

Dinner had been delicious. Megumi had never had a real American-style hamburger before, and Kaoru delighted in watching her face as she tried to figure out whether or not she liked it. Hikaru had devoured two burgers, criticizing Kyoya's grilling skills while everyone else doggedly ignored him. Although he'd never say so, Kaoru had to come down on Kyoya's side this time; the meat was perfectly done. Watching the juices drip down Megumi's chin was a treat he'd never anticipated.

"I have to admit, I'm a little surprised you make your own food, Kyoya," Megumi said after finishing her burger.

Kaoru slung an arm over the back of her chair, pleased that she finally felt comfortable enough to drop the formality with his best friend. "Kyoya, tell Megumi about what your father-in-law said when he found out you didn't know how to grill."

"Boy," Jen answered instead, voice deepening in apparent imitation of her friend's father, her Virginia thickening, "Boy, you want to marry my daughter, and you don't know how to grill meat? What exactly made you think that would be acceptable?"

Kyoya had evidently relaxed enough not to get offended by this, because he just smiled at his wife and said, "Baby, your father is one of about three men on the planet I find intimidating."

"Please. You're the only one he ever deemed good enough for me." Laney leaned forward and poured Megumi more wine. "You'll find out what it's like," she winked.

Kaoru kept the arm around Megumi relaxed, but he rolled his eyes. _I really need a signal to tell her when to mind her own damn business, _he thought. Fortunately, Jen came to his rescue.

"So why is it just the troublemakers here? I know Haruhi's hugely pregnant, but what about Huni and Reiko? And I thought Mori was supposed to come too."

"Reiko's developed horrific morning sickness," Megumi said. "The poor thing. It should pass soon, I hope."

"So what's Mori's excuse?"

"Hot date," Hikaru replied. "Although I'm not entirely sure if this one is a family set-up or if he picked her up on his own."

"Isn't he _ever_ going to get married?" Laney complained.

"Leave the poor man alone, Lane," Jen said.

"Yeah, I think Mori's pretty happy playing the field," Hikaru added. "No need for him to submit to the matrimonial noose any earlier than he has too."

Jen raised her glass to that sentiment, but Kaoru felt Megumi stir uncomfortably under his arm. Just as he was trying to figure out a way to steer the conversation entirely away from in-laws and matrimonial nooses and anything else related to the subject, everyone's phones started beeping.

"Well I guess it finally happened," Kyoya said cryptically .

Kaoru checked his own phone to see three texts from Tamaki.

-_Suoh Kotoko, 2.8 kg, 48.4 cm long.  
-Mom and baby doing perfect  
-I'M A DADDY!_

Megumi showed him her phone. "Me too," she said happily.

"Of course. You're part of the family now." Kaoru smiled. "And the family just got a little bigger."

"This calls for champagne," Laney announced, and she and Jen disappeared into the house.

"Wait a minute," Hikaru said. "Kyoya, you knew?"

"Of course I knew. They went to one of our hospitals. And obviously Tamaki texted me the minute Haruhi's water broke early this morning."

"You knew, and you didn't say anything to us?" Kaoru chimed in. "How could you keep that a secret?"

"Because Haruhi asked me to. She's still a little early, and she wanted to make sure there would be no complications before the entire group descended on her."

As upset as he was that Tamaki and Kyoya hadn't told them what was happening, Kaoru had to admit to himself that he could see Haruhi's point. He settled back into his chair, putting his arm around Megumi again. She was looking worriedly between the other two men as they continued to argue.

"But we could have been there! If we were still in Tokyo we could go see the baby right now!" Hikaru said angrily. "In fact, I have half a mind to fly back up there tonight."

"Absolutely not." Kyoya's voice was steely. "What Tamaki didn't say, because he didn't want anyone to worry, was that Haruhi had some minor hemorrhaging. She's _fine_," he held up his hand to forestall the twins' cries of alarm, "but she needs _rest_, which she is unlikely to get with you lot crowding her."

"If milord didn't say anything, then how do you know about it?' Hikaru asked rebelliously.

"He didn't say anything to _you._" Kyoya pushed up his glasses smugly.

Just as Hikaru was opening his mouth, and Kaoru was wondering whether to intervene and stop the argument, another text came through. It was a picture of Haruhi holding her baby. She did look very pale, and there was an IV running to her arm, but she was sitting up and didn't appear to be in any serious danger. Her face was suffused with exhausted bliss as she gazed at her newborn daughter. To his surprise, Kaoru found himself tearing up with love and pride.

"Wow." Hikaru's voice was almost a whisper. "Look at that. Our Haruhi, a mother."

"She looks so happy," Megumi said. Kaoru glanced up from his phone. Megumi was staring at the picture, a look on her face that almost resembled longing. He tightened his arm around her, wanting to say a million things, but not knowing how to start.

Laney and Jen returned, armed with bottles and champagne flutes, and everyone busied themselves with opening and pouring.

"To Suoh Kotoko: May all the gods be kind enough to make her take after her mother," Kyoya said drily, offering the first toast.

"May she be raised to righteousness, wisdom, and happiness," Jen said next, earning a snort and a muttered _raised to wisdom,_ _fat chance_ from Hikaru.

"To Haruhi: may she have the patience not to murder her husband during a 3 am feeding," Laney said.

The toasts continued along that vein, interrupted now and again with new pictures coming in, until, somewhere into the third bottle, Hikaru stood up. "A toast to Tamaki," he said, in all apparent sincerity. "To Tamaki, who finally has the family he always longed for and so richly deserves."

"That I will drink to," Kyoya said quietly, eyes shining behind his glasses.

Kaoru looked around. The sun had long since set, and the candles dotting the table were flickering in the light breeze. The faces of his dearest friends and family surrounded him, and although a few were missing, it was enough to know that, a couple thousand kilometers away, they were gathered in Tokyo's most luxurious hospital suite, welcoming the smallest Suoh to the world. Beside him, Megumi blinked sleepily. "Want to go for a walk?" he whispered.

"Please," she said, her voice low and throaty. "I think I drank too much champagne; a walk will clear my head."

As he stood up, he was surprised to feel his own head swimming a little. He didn't think he'd drunk that much, but there'd been a number of toasts. "Me too," he admitted, taking Megumi's hand and helping her to her feet. "We'll be back in a bit," he said to the other two couples as they headed out the gate to the path leading down to the beach.

Megumi shucked off her shoes as soon as they hit the sand, and Kaoru followed her example. "Hold these," she instructed, handing him the strappy sandals. He obliged, watching with bemusement as she walked straight into the water. She remained there for several minutes, wind whipping the tendrils of hair that had escaped her loose ponytail around her face. The water glimmered darkly as small waves lapped at her ankles. He thought he'd never seen anyone so beautiful in all his life.

He dropped her shoes in the sand and followed her into the water, heedless of his pants getting wet. She turned her face up to him, luminous in the moonlight. "I'm in love with you," he said, reaching down to hold her hands. "I'm in love with you, and I want to marry you, and have 10 kids with you, and get old and fat together. We can do trips where you can teach impoverished kids, just like you want, like Doctors Without Borders, but Teachers Without Borders. I can teach them art, and you can teach them everything else, because you know everything else. Because you're the wisest woman I've ever met, and you've changed my life and made everything better, and I love you." He was aware he was babbling, but he could only figure out one way to make it stop. He tilted her face up to his and kissed her.

"Kaoru," she breathed, and for some reason he couldn't quite remember he was terrified that she was going to say no, and back away, but instead she melted into him. She opened her mouth to speak, but he kissed her again. She tasted of champagne and seawater, and she slipped her hands under his shirt, resting lightly against his stomach. She pushed gently, breaking the kiss. "Make love to me. Tonight. Please, Kaoru, I don't want to wait anymore."

He tugged her out of the water and up further onto the beach, pulling her tight against him again as he started to lower them to the sand. "Hold on," Megumi begged off, laughing. "I can wait long enough to get to a bed."

"Don't want to wait," Kaoru mumbled against her mouth. "I'm done with waiting."

"Me too." She kissed him, pushing him down against the sand. "But sand chafes." Despite her words, she made no move to let him up. Her mouth moved over the pulse point in his neck, and she sucked lightly, teeth grazing him gently. Her hands were busy with his belt. "Take me to bed."

"You realize you're undermining your own argument here?" He tugged up her shirt, reveling in the warmth of her skin. As his fingers skimmed upward, she sat up. "Take your hair down." She complied, the length of it spilling down her back. "I want to drown in this hair."

"Poetic, but impractical."

"I think I'm a little drunk," he admitted, mouth moving to graze the line of her jaw.

"Me too," she sighed. "It was a good night."

He pulled back. "We don't have to … " he started, but she placed her fingers against his lips.

"A good night," she repeated, "but I'm not ready for it to be over yet. Are you?"

"Fuck no." He hesitated, unsure how to ask her the question burning in his heart. "I love you," he said again, in lieu of anything more direct.

Megumi looked at him, her lips swollen and her eyes a little glassy. She rocked back on her heels, studying him for a long moment. Finally understanding dawned on her face. "Have I not said it?" she asked wonderingly.

Kaoru simply shook his head, mute. He took her hands in his own trembling ones. "Do you?" he finally managed.

"Of course I do." She stood, bringing him with her. "Of course I love you."

Heart full, he pulled her to him again. "Let's go to bed," he said huskily.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter: Lilemaus, kitty-kasey, Guest, aligator7892, XxGrimShadowxX, Beaker77, and acrosseverystar. Y'all. I had to write this while visiting one of my friends, because sure enough I have to pack up my damn house AGAIN and move. The good news? This time it's permanent, because we bought ourselves a house. The even better news? I actually wrote two chapters, and will be posting the end of this story in a few days. So thanks to all y'all for sticking with me throughout this story. It took a lot longer than I thought it was going to at the beginning. Lots and lots of water under the bridge with this one.


	33. Chapter 33

The next morning, Kaoru was woken by sunlight spilling across his face. He reached sleepily out to gather Megumi into his arms, but the bed was empty and her side was already cool. _What the fuck_? He rolled back over to check the time. _9:03. Maybe she's getting coffee._

After pulling on pants and a t-shirt, Kaoru made his way downstairs. The house was unusually quiet. "Honey?" he whispered as he opened the kitchen door, hoping not to wake up the others.

"Right here, darling," Kyoya answered from the table, his words punctuated by the rustle of his morning paper. "Coffee's hot. You know where the mugs are. Can't promise there's much left, since you're the last one up."

"Where's Megumi?"

"And people say _I'm _rude in the morning."

_For fucks' sake._ Kaoru glared at his friend. "Good morning, Kyoya. Where's Megumi?"

"Hikaru and Laney invited her on their run, but she declined. She's walking on the cliffs with Jen."

_Shit._ His stomach twisted up in knots. Surely it wasn't a good sign that after last night, instead of staying in bed with him for another round first thing in the morning, Megumi was out having a heart-to-heart with his brother's girlfriend? _Shit. Fuck_. He plopped down in the chair opposite Kyoya, who was still buried behind his paper. It was an affectation Kaoru had always found pretentious, considering the digital world they lived in. "Can we talk?"

"I thought that's what we were doing," he said, looking over the edge of his paper momentarily before returning to whatever article had piqued his interest.

Kaoru sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Kyoya, please. Can you take off the disinterested asshole hat for a minute and just be, like, _my friend?_ Please?"

Kyoya folded up the paper and put it aside. "All right," he said quietly. "I'm listening."

"So, um, last night. After we came back from our walk? And everyone else had gone to bed already?"

"Yes, as is the typical convention when it gets late."

"Asshole hat."

"Sorry. It's off, I promise." Kyoya had the grace to look mildly ashamed.

"Yeah, well." He scratched the back of his neck. "So." This bit of eloquence was followed by a long silence.

"Kaoru, I'm going for supportive here, but it's difficult to have a conversation when you don't actually talk."

"I'm _trying _to be a gentleman."

"So?" Kyoya asked. Then the implication hit. "_Oh._ About damn time."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kaoru growled.

Kyoya held his hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm not implying anything. I'm happy for you." When Kaoru didn't appear mollified, he clarified "For both of you."

"Yeah, well." Kaoru fell silent, and Kyoya waited patiently. "Neither of us were exactly 100% sober last night. And now, instead of being sleep-rumpled and adorable in my bed, she's out on a walk. With fucking _Jen,_ of all people. Which cannot lead anywhere good. So I'm freaking out a little."

Kyoya leaned forward, steepling his fingers together. "First of all, Jen's not that bad. Yes, what she and your brother have is one of the most dysfunctional relationships I've ever seen—and I beg you to remember that my family certainly has more than its fair share of dysfunction—but their particular brand of fucked-uppedness is probably not contagious. And I'm in a position to know personally that she gives better advice than she takes."

"Wait, really?" This was news to Kaoru. "When did you go to Jen for advice?"

"That's neither here nor there," he said evasively. "But believe it or not, she has a bit of a soft spot for you, and I seriously doubt she's saying anything to Megumi to make her reconsider your relationship. In fact, they're probably not even talking about you."

That made Kaoru feel a bit better. He'd heard Jen on a tear before, and the idea of her delivering a lecture to Megumi on the inadequacies of the Hitachiin brothers when it came to relationships gave him the cold horrors. But that still left the other issue. "We had a lot to drink last night. What if she regrets it?"

Kyoya took a moment. "Well, what if she does?"

"Not helping, man. You're supposed to reassure me."

"Hope for the best, plan for the worst. What if she does regret last night? Do you see her breaking up with you over it? You didn't force her, did you?"

"What the fuck, Kyoya?" Kaoru's hand clenched into a fist, and he had to consciously relax each finger. "No! Of course I didn't. In fact, it was _her _suggestion that we sleep together."

"So even if she woke up this morning thinking _what the hell did I do last night_, she's probably not thinking of dumping you. Right?"

"I guess." Kaoru rose and looked out the window, hoping to see Jen and Megumi coming back, but all he saw were a couple of sea birds wheeling in the air. "But it shouldn't have happened like that."

"Why, because you'd been drinking?" Kyoya leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah, because we'd been drinking. I mean, fuck, I told her I loved her, that I wanted to get old and fat and have a million kids with her, and I think I said we should start a new organization called Teachers Without Borders."

"Perhaps I spoke too soon when I said she wasn't thinking of dumping your sorry ass." Kaoru looked at him, wild-eyed, and Kyoya chuckled. "You know, Laney was three sheets to the wind, maybe more, when I first told her I was in love with her."

"Shit, really?" Kaoru couldn't imagine it. He'd seen Laney tipsy a few times, but not straight out drunk.

"Graduation from med school," he smiled. "To this day, I'm not 100% sure she even remembers me saying it, although she swears she does. Of course I told her again in the morning."

"And?"

"She said _Good, if you love me so much please bring me some aspirin and the largest fucking cup of coffee you can find._"

"How the hell is this supposed to be making me feel better?" he asked plaintively.

"My point, Kaoru," he said, "is that life rarely happens as neatly as it does in the movies. It's messy, and complicated, and sometimes the most amazing things happen to you at exactly the wrong moments. But when you look back, you realize—it was never the wrong moment, because when you tear your heart out of your own chest and offer it up to someone else, there's no right moment for that. It just happens when it happens, and you have two choices; full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes, or crawl back into your foxhole."

"Damn, Kyoya. That's _gross_. Tear your heart out of your _chest_?"

"Who's wearing the asshole hat now?" He picked his paper back up. "For what it's worth, Megumi didn't seem particularly upset when I saw her this morning. Quite the reverse, in fact."

"But what if—"

"Do yourself a favor and drink a cup of coffee." Kyoya cut him off. "If you're going to embarrass yourself by second-guessing everything you said last night, you should at least be firing on all cylinders when you do so."

Feeling thoroughly disgruntled, Kaoru took his advice. The two sat in silence as he sipped at the hot coffee. He was on his second cup before he heard women's voices coming up the path. He was out of his chair like a shot. "Kaoru," Kyoya called, not looking up from his paper. "_Not knowing autumn has begun—a child Buddha,_" he recited.

"Huh?"

"Don't overthink it."

"That is fantastically easy to say when you are already married and everything is settled." He left his friend sitting at the table.

Blinking in the bright morning sunlight, he found Megumi and Jen lingering outside the house. "Can we talk?" he asked Megumi, ignoring Jen.

"Good morning to you too, Kaoru," Jen said.

"Why is everyone so punctilious about manners this morning?" he muttered.

Megumi laughed and slipped her hand into his. "Thanks for the walk and the conversation, Shapiro-san."

"Yeah, see you _later_, Jen," Kaoru said meaningfully. She just rolled her eyes at him and went into the house.

"Want to walk down to the beach again?" Megumi asked.

He looked down at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. _A child Buddha, right? Don't overthink. Just ask._ "Why didn't you wait for me to get up?"

"You looked so peaceful, and I know you've been working so hard lately. I wanted to let you get some extra rest, but I couldn't fall back asleep." She tugged at his hand. "Come on. I want to get my feet wet again." She moved down the path that lead to the beach, Kaoru following behind her.

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

She smiled back at him over her shoulder. "Maybe I was just too happy. Any other questions?"

"Um, yeah. What were you and Jen talking about?"

Megumi stopped, turning to face him. "What's going on, Kaoru?"

"I guess I got a little worried when I woke up alone that you were having second thoughts about last night."

"We were actually talking about Hikaru, not you." She sat down on a small bench set slightly off the path. "I was tipsy last night but hardly incapacitated." She stopped suddenly. "Unless you're having second thoughts?"

The beach grass waved back and forth in the morning breeze, and Kaoru watched it, not looking at Megumi. "Look, I don't want 10 kids," he said in a rush. "Maybe two, or three, but not anytime even remotely soon. And I don't want to get married tomorrow. "

Megumi's face fell. "Oh. I thought—"

"Fuck, I am doing this all _wrong_." Kaoru cut her off, desperate to clarify before the conversation got away from him completely. "I mean, I don't want to make these decisions, I want _us_ to make these decisions. Because I don't know what I want my future to look like, but I know I want to share it with you. I _need_ to share it with you. I love you."

"I'm confused, Kaoru. Are you proposing to me, or not?"

"I'd really like to meet your family first. It seems kind of rude to ask a girl to marry you without even having met her parents. And I don't have a ring. So I guess … no?" He plucked a piece of grass and started stripping the seeds off the stalk. "But maybe I'm proposing that I propose to you sometime in the near future? When I've thought this all out a little better and have an actual plan so we can tell our kids about our romantic engagement story, rather than having to tell them I pretty much proposed while we were drunk and making out on the beach."

"You're proposing to propose."

"Yeah. That's not the lamest thing you've ever heard, right?"

"That is 100% the lamest thing I've ever heard. We're not 16," she said, but the warmth in her voice took the sting out of the words. "I accept."

His head came up. "What? Really?"

"You're an idiot, Kaoru, but I guess I like idiots." She crossed to him, nestling in between his legs. "You're also kind, and funny, and sexy as hell, and _reliable."_

"No one has ever called me _reliable _before," he said, bringing his hands up to her waist.

"Then they haven't been paying attention. Now kiss me, and then we'll call my parents and tell them we're having a family brunch next week."

He did as she told him, with the sun beating down on the two of them and the sea beyond, stretching away to the horizon.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Oh man, y'all. Literally a day after I posted that last update, my flipping MOTHERBOARD died, and I had to send my computer off for fixing, which meant not only a delay in posting this, but I also missed out on a rush editing job. What's that old saw about life being what happens while you're making other plans? Anywho, here we are. This story is basically done. I may post an epilogue set a few years in the future, but don't hold your breath. This flipping story came much harder than I thought it was going to at the beginning. It saw me through a miscarriage, an interstate move, a new baby, and buying a home. I think a lot of it got away from me at times, but I also learned a lot about writing through it. There will be a story about Hikaru and Jen-she was actually supposed to play a much larger part in the end of this story, but I realized I was really shoe-horning that in, and it had to get cut. I'm also thinking of rewriting You Know the Night, my story about Kyoya and Laney. It needs some pretty serious clean-up.

Thank you so much to everyone who supported me, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. You guys are awesome.

One more thing-the haiku Kyoya recites is by Issa, who is pretty much one of my top 3 poets ever. He'll make you laugh the first time you read him, but break your heart every time after.


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